Weekender: Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux is famous for its wine, and a trip there should always be accompanied by a nice bottle of red. While this is a compelling reason to go, it's not the only attraction to this gorgeous French city: it's home to wide boulevards, neoclassical architecture, beautiful parks and a thriving population of students.

Headline attraction
Bordeaux's 4km-long riverfront esplanade is the city's modern face. Walk, cycle or simply stop for a rest here to admire the River Garonne and the Pont du Pierre – built during Napoleon's reign, it has 17 arches: one for each of his victories. You can try your hand at walking on water here – the water mirror is a shallow water feature that reflects the city depending on where you stand.

Best of the rest
Head to the Jardin Public, the most impressive of Bordeaux's green spaces. Built in 1755, it incorporates the Jardin Botanique (botanic garden) and the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle (natural history museum). A short walk from the garden is the Musée d'Art Contemporain (museum of contemporary art). Stop for a photo at the Monument aux Girondins before heading past the Grand Théâtre and down Rue Ste-Catherine (the city's main shopping precinct).

Try the local tipple
If sampling the wine at the vineyards outside the city isn't enough to quench your thirst, head to the area around Place de la Victorie, where you'll find plenty of bars for a night out.

Chow down
You don't want to be drinking all that wine on an empty stomach, so it's lucky Bordeaux has an excellent dining scene. Head to Place St-Pierre or Place du Parlement – a pretty square offering a wide choice of restaurants in the 18th-century city centre.

Museum time
The permanent exhibits in Bordeaux's museums have free entry. The Musée d'Aquitaine provides an interesting look at the city's history, and art buffs should not miss out on the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

Get out of town
Let's face it, you've come to Bordeaux for the wine – and even if you're not particularly a fan of the red stuff, visiting the nearby world famous wine regions, such as St-Émilion and the Médoc, should be on your itinerary. The area is served by public transport and the Bordeaux Tourism Office offers day tours out to the wineries, or you can hire a car and explore the area yourself. St-Émilion is worth an overnight stay. The fortified medieval town, 35km east of Bordeaux, boasts a huge subterranean church cut out from a piece of rock, and catacombs.

Need to know

When to go: Wine tours run between May and October

Getting there: Book flights from £97 - Bordeaux airport is 10km west of the city. Buses take 45 minutes to the city centre. Expect to pay €20 for a taxi. Bordeaux is a major rail hub. Paris is three hours away by train and it's two and a half hours from Toulouse

Currency: Euro - Check out our Currency Converter for the latest rates

Language: French

Getting around: Trams run every 10 minutes. Buy a ticket at the stop and validate it on board. Bus tickets are sold on board

Going out: A beer is €5

Accommodation: Hotel deals from £50