Bordeaux, France

Place de la Bourse As Bordeaux's town center is quite small, you can see a lot of monuments and interesting sights in only a few hours. All trips can be made on foot.

The first recommended tour begins at the Place de la Bourse (formerly the Place Royale), at the foot of the Fountain of the Three Graces. Here you can begin by visiting the Musée national des douanes. After the museum, take the Rue Philippart until you reach the Place du Parlement, then take the Rue du Parlement St. Pierre where you will find the Eglise St-Pierre. This is the historic center of the city. This area certainly has a large number of restaurants to choose from. If you've worked up an appetite, try Madura (Le), or if you're looking for traditional Bordelaise cuisine, don't miss Café Français (Le).

The Rue Bahutiers (former manufacturers of safes) will bring you to the Cours Alsace and Lorraine. Just before this avenue, turn left and you will catch a glimpse of the Porte Caihlau. The quays of the Pont de Pierre on your right. By taking the Rue Ausone just in front of the Porte Cailhau, you will cross the avenues Alsace and Lorraine. At the junction of the avenues and the Rue Ausone, you will find the Rue de la Porte Saint Jean, which looks onto the Rue de la Roussselle (at number 23 and 25 you will find the family home of Michel de Montaigne). Continue down this street until you reach the Cours Victor Hugo to find the Porte de Bourgogne, looking onto the quays and the Pont de Pierre. By crossing this avenue, you will enter the St. Michel quarter, take the Rue Fusterie until the Place Duborg, where you turn right in the direction of the Place Canteloup. From one of the café terraces on this square, you can admire the spire (Flèche St Michel) and the basilica of the Flèche St-Michel. Wrap up your day with a nice meal at Vieux Bordeaux (Le) where you can savor local specialties.

Grosse Cloche If you start on Rue Saint Francois you will eventually reach Rue du Mirail. On your right you will see the Grosse Cloche. By turning left at the Cours Victor Hugo, you will cross the rue Sainte Catherine. At the avenue Pasteur on your right you will find the Musée d'Aquitaine.

By continuing through the Cours Pasteur, you will come across the magnificent Cathédrale St-André and the town hall. You can go around the town hall by turning left and taking the Rue Elisée Reclus. You will now be on the Cours Albret; turn right and you will come to the town hall's garden and the Musée des Beaux Arts. By following the avenue (which veers to the right), you will go back up to the Place Gambetta (formerly the Place Dauphine). On your right, you will immediately see the Porte Dijaux. Go under the Porte and continue straight ahead until the Place de la Bourse. Here you will arrive at your starting point. A great dining option in this area is the Bistro du Sommelier (Le) where you can taste local vintages, and the lunch fixed-price menu is a great deal.

Grand Théâtre Start on the steps of the Grand Théâtre, where you will find the Place de la Comédie. Then take the Rue Mautrec, which runs perpendicular to the Allées de Tourny. You will arrive in front of one of the most beautiful churches in Bordeaux: the Eglise Notre Dame. Then take the Rue Diderot, which will bring you straight to the Marché des Grands Hommes, a glass shopping arcade with large metal columns. The rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau will bring you to the end of the Allées de Tourny, where you will turn right in the direction of the Cours Verdun. On your left, you will see the Public Gardens. There are many points of interest here, including the Botanical Gardens.

When you have finished a tour of the gardens, take the Cours Verdrun to the Rue Sicard, which is on your right. You will soon come across the Place du Marché des Chartrons, a pretty market hall in glass, metal and stone.

By continuing down the Rue Sicard, you will find the Saint Louis church with its neo-gothic architecture. Take the Rue Notre Dame where you will turn right, and then turn into the Passage Beaujau on the left. A completely different architecture awaits you: The Cité Mondiale. From here you can already see the quays, and if you so desire, you can visit the Croiseur Colbert. If you're ready for a nice meal by the end of the day, try Iberico. This restaurant is unique in that it serves cod in every way imaginable. If fish isn't your thing, try the delicious pizzas at the family joint Grappa (La).

St Louis Church For a longer tour, continue along the Rue Sicard to St Louis Church with its neo-gothic architecture, then take the Rue Notre Dame and turn left until you come to the Rue Borie. Turn left and you will find yourself in front of the Musée des Chartrons. On coming out of the museum take the Rue Borie on your left and go down towards the quays where you can visit the Croiseur Colbert.

When you are on the quays opposite the Croiseur Colbert, turn right until you are standing opposite the two Quinconces columns. Cross the quays and pause for a while on the Place des Quinconces, one of the biggest squares in Europe. At the bottom of the square, you will see the Monument aux Girondins et à la République (1894-1902).

Take the Cours du 30 juillet on your left and continue until you come to the Grand Théâtre. You can have a drink on the terrace of one of the cafés, which are about fifty metres from your starting point. Our final dining recommendations include Gambas Bleue (La), a seafood restaurants where patrons can taste all the delicacies that the Bay of Arcachon has to offer. And last but certainly not least, for tasty, hearty crepes, pop in Crêpe d'Or (La).

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Considering the size and prestige of the city, Bordeaux needs to have a large number of hotels and other accommodations to keep up with the constant influx of tourists coming from all over the world. In Bordeaux, people live at night and the impressive number of restaurants, bars and cinemas will make you choose a hotel in the city center or in the nearby suburbs. You will always find a place to meet your needs.

The Saint-Jean quarter If you arrive in town by train, take advantage of the hotels near the train station. Choose the Hôtel Ibis Saint-Jean, the Climat de France Saint-Jean, or the Soretel Saint-Jean if you like big chain hotels. If you want to spend only one night in town, many other inexpensive establishments will allow you to remain close to the train station. In this area you will also find the Victoria Garden Hôtel, which is a good solution for people planning on an extended stay.

The Mériadeck quarter For those who want to be in the city center, Bordeaux has many options: there are luxurious places such as the Holiday Inn Meriadeck, or the Best Western Grand Hôtel Français, which are three-star hotels, or more affordable ones such as the Hôtel des Quatre-Soeurs, the Hôtel de l'Opéra, the Hôtel Bristol, or the Hôtel d''Aquitaine.

Of course, those with a tight budget will also find numerous small family hotels with comfortable rooms: La Belle au Bois Dormant, Hôtel de la Boétie, the Lafaurie or Hôtel Studio.

The Outskirts of Town You do not need to stay in the heart of Bordeaux in order to get around; those with a car may choose the outskirts of the town at Hôtel de la Cité, the Hôtel Alton, or La Pelouse—all have many services and varied prices. For lower prices, try Les Cèdres, or the Walien Chanterel in Bordeaux Bastide.

Outside the City If you arrive in Bordeaux by plane, you will certainly need to find a nice place near the Bordeaux-Mérignac airport. A few minutes away from the airport itself, you will find a large number of hotels, with varied services and prices, including Aérogril, Hôtel Ibis Bordeaux Aéroport, Novotel, and the Travel'Inn. Furthermore, when traveling by car, it is also not necessary to go to the city center in order to find a place to spend a night. Many nice and comfortable hotels are available and we advise you to choose a chain hotels, including Hôtel Campanile, Formule 1, or B and B. Among these numerous hotels you will surely find the one that suits any budget and preference.

Moreover, we shall not forget the residential hotels which can be found a little bit everywhere in Bordeaux and in the suburbs such as Les Citadines.

The Chartrons quarter Hotels are also very useful for people in town on business who need to find a place to spend one night near Bordeaux, or for those who are in Bordeaux for a convention, a meeting or an exhibition and who want to gather with colleagues. For these purposes, choose from Mercure Bordeaux Cité Mondiale Centre de Congrès, Relais Mercure Lac, or Libertel Claret, if you want a three-star hotel, or La Méridienne, Le Provençal, or les Balladins for more modest prices. These are all excellent choices to reconcile work and relaxation.

The Cream of the Crop Finally, some of the best hotels in Bordeaux and the surrounding area are Hôtel Burdigala, the Hôtel Sofitel Aquitania, the Hostellerie des Criquets, and the Château St-James...just to make you dream!

We hope you will enjoy your stay in Bordeaux, should it be for one night, a few days, or longer. You will certainly find the right place to suit your needs.