Bordeaux is always a good idea

The hub of the wine-growing region and the city that I believe, can tell more about French culture than Paris, due to the very genuine and unique experience that you can feel when you’re there, coupled with lesser number of tourists.

The world’s largest urban UNESCO World Heritage site stands out with its great history, splendid views and excellent gastronomy.

The city is charming and has a romantic vibe and can be enjoyed while walking around with French music playing in the background from the carousels.

Around the city

It’s cozy, you can find most of the noteworthy attractions and sights fairly close to the city center, making it easy for you to walk around and enjoy the beautiful architectural monuments and exhibitions.

I stayed at a beautiful small French apartment bang in the middle of the city facing the grand hotel. It was a lovely experience living like a local rather than as a tourist.

The places that caught my fancy:

Esplanade des Quinconces, the city’s largest square and the most popular venue for a number of events

Miroir d’eau, the reflecting pool in front of the Place de la Bourse is not to be missed

Le Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, one of the oldest theaters in Europe

Darwin Eco-Système, the most inspiring and innovative space in Bordeaux

Cathédrale Saint-André, a most beautiful religious monument

Pont de Pierre, the first stone bridge in Bordeaux

Grosse Cloche, the oldest belfries in France

I also enjoyed disappearing into the little streets filled with the alluring aroma of French pastries and of course walking around with a delicious loaf of French bread in my hand and that was just pure bliss.

Raise your glass

From modern wine schools and museums to ancient chateaux, Bordeaux offers the best way to experience the wine heritage and maintaining its leading position in the world of wine making.

A great variety of tours and tastings are organized by the Bordeaux Tourism Agency, these include châteaux and vineyards. I booked mine via Bordovino to Saint-Émilion, we started at 1 pm and the tour lasted for about 6 hours.

It was great fun, meeting new people, learning about and tasting exceptional wine.

We stopped by Château Tour Baladoz and then Château Franc Mayne.

Both châteaux offered great tours and I enjoyed the magnificent panoramic views of the vineyards and archetypal well-stocked wine cellars.

Since we are on the subject of wine, a place so worth visiting is the Cité du Vin. The new wine museum, where wine comes to life through an immersive, visual experience, inside a magnificent modern architectural building.

Gastronomy

The gastronomy scene was dominated by many amazing mouthwatering dishes like forget the Magret de Canard, oysters and seafood, sausage and the very aromatic french cheese.

There’s always room for dessert, of course

The most famous dessert and which is available everywhere is the Canelés, a small French pastry flavored with rum and vanilla, it has a thick caramelized crust with a soft custard center.

I also give a hearty nod to Les Dunes Blanches, Crepes and Gateau des Rois.

I can’t wait to walk down the riverfront over and over again to savor that magical feeling again.

Santé!