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Bordeaux and the Gironde
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While Bordeaux owes its world fame to its renowned vineyards, it is the city’s history, intimately linked with that of its river, which allows it to invite you to discover all the rich features of an exceptional heritage.
And, when admiring the cruise liners anchored in the heart of the city, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the Port de la Lune (the name comes from its crescent shape) has been a port of call for vessels from all over the world since ancient times.
Can we fully appreciate the quality of the architecture and urban design of the developments of the 18th century - Place Royale (now Place de la Bourse), Grand Théâtre, Allées de Tourny, etc. – without knowing that this was made possible by the boom in international trade (wine, wood, spices...)?
Every district in Bordeaux is a witness to a fragment of the city’s history: Saint-Pierre, built directly on the site of the Gallo-Roman harbour of Burdigala, Saint-Michel and its Gothic steeple, Saint-Eloi with its picturesque, winding lanes, the Hôtel de Ville district with Saint-André cathedral and the Palais Rohan, etc.
As well as wine, the river and the arts, Bordeaux also has many museums and other cultural venues, where the pleasure of the senses joins the pleasures of the spirit.
But Bordeaux isn’t simply content to dwell on the splendours of its builders from another century, or to be known merely as the world capital of wine. Bordeaux exists to be discovered through its many areas of urban greenery, to be appreciated for its mild climate and to be savoured for its quality of life – full of gastronomic promise and lively nightlife. The city also opens onto marvellous surroundings – the nearby Atlantic Ocean and the Bassin d'Arcachon, Périgord with its prehistoric remains, Gascony and the Basque Country, the Landes forests and the Pyrenees...
So whether you want simply to wander or follow a guided tour, to take a trip through history or just get away from it all, to enjoy sensational panoramas or picturesque views, to sample the wine and gastronomy... all you need to do is come and discover Bordeaux.Bordeaux recounts its history like a picture-book story. The spectre of the gladiators still haunts the ruins of the Palais Gallien. The Great Bell and the Cathedral are reminders of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the intrigues of the Hundred Years War. The Place de la Bourse, the Grand Théâtre and the Allées de Tourny give an idea of the grandeur of the work carried out by the ‘Intendants’ of the French King in the 18th century. The Chartrons district, the Quayside frontage and the Lainé Warehouse all speak of the economic prosperity of the win trade and the dynamic merchant class. The ‘Deux Rives’ development project is a continuation of this historic development process in Bordeaux.
... read gay Bordeaux and the Gironde guide