Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux, France

Château Lafite wine in Bordeaux, France (cc)

Photo: Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.

Bordeaux Travel Guide

Introduction

Bordeaux is practically synonymous with wine – good wine. It is, after all, the de facto wine capital of the world, with some of the world's most famous and most prestigious wine châteaux situated in close proximity – think Château Lafite, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Mouton-Rothschild, to name but a few. More than 850 million bottles of wine are produced here each year, with Bordeaux's wine economy generating nearly €15 billion annually. Many of the wineries in the Bordeaux region – and there are more than 10,000 wine-producing châteaux here! – offer public wine tastings in stunning settings, while local merchants and the city's wine shops typically sell high-quality Bordeaux wines at discounted prices. As for the city, it's fair to say that Bordeaux is among the most elegant in France, its opulent architecture reminiscent of Versailles, its impressive skyline lit up at night above the River Garonne, twinkling in the water below. Bordeaux also, one might add, is an absolute paradise for shoppers, packed with a Who's Who of upscale, brand-name stores and counting among its venues the 1.2-kilometer Rue Sainte-Catherine, one of the longest shopping streets in Europe.

Location

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Neighborhoods

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Where to Party

Essential Information

Nearby Destinations

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Main Neighborhoods

There are eight distinct quartiers or districts in Bordeaux, each with a deputy mayor and a degree of autonomy.

Downtown/Centre Ville - Historic heart of Bordeaux, centered around the intersection of three tram lines. This is also the city's premier shopping district, with scores of luxury shops, one-off boutiques and markets, and lively bistros and sidewalk cafés.