Top Four Reasons to Travel to Bordeaux!

Bordeaux is well known for being the wine capital of the world, and with good reason. Bordeaux produces at least 400 million liters of – delicious – wine every year, and there are around 9,000 wineries populating the region. Wine aficionados from across the globe flock to Bordeaux every year to enjoy its many vintages. The majority of Bordeaux wine is red, featuring just a few varieties of sweet white wine and dry white wine. However, the wine is not the only reason to travel to Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is one of the best foodie destinations in Europe, due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Dordogne. Aside from Bordeux’s regional specialties, you can try France’s best oysters from nearby Arcachon Bay and foie gras from its bordering region, the French Aquitaine. Bordeaux itself is famous for its pastries, and the beef from the town of Bazas is extremely popular for being some of the most tender and flavorful in the country. Bordeaux is also known for its sheep and goat cheese, the most famous of which is La Chevre.

If the food and wine are not enough reason to visit, Bordeaux is also home to numerous landmarks and museums, including the world’s largest reflecting pool, Miroir d’Eau. This is a great stop for families, as children in particular love to splash in the pool during hot summer days. There are plenty of other attractions to explore in the city of Bordeaux, such as the wine museum and outdoor markets.

Let’s dive into the best of what Bordeaux has to offer.

Check out our Cooking in a French Chateaux and Bordeaux Wine Tours!

1. Bordeaux Gastronomy

Our culinary travelers will be pleased to know that there are many famously delectable dishes to try in Bordeaux. The Canelé is the most beloved of Bordeaux’s popular pastries, and it is easy to see why. This delicious treat is a regional staple, getting their name from the fluted copper molds they are baked in. They are flavored with rum and vanilla, and a good Canelé has a crisp, caramelized outer layer and a thick, custardy interior.

Another must-try Bordeaux pastry are Dunes Blanches, a variation on the classic cream puff. These “White Dunes” are small round pastries filled with cream and topped with powdered sugar and small crunchy chunks of sugar crystals, which form the “dunes.”

The culinary delights of Bordeaux do not stop there. Their L’entrecôte bordelaise, or Bordeaux-style steak, is a local delicacy not to be missed. The thick cut steak is served in a decadent sauce made of  shallots, butter, and local red wine.

The other dinner item you ought to try during your stay is lamprey. The lamprey is an eel-like fish with no jaw that can be traced back to over 530 million years ago without any major genetic changes. They have been caught in the Gironde Estuary since Medieval times, though at that time, lamprey dishes were reserved for the aristocracy. Lamprey à la bordelaise is a stew made of lamprey, shallots, garlic, grilled ham, and  red wine, and it is known for its rich flavors and delicate texture. However, lampreys are extremely difficult to prepare for consumption, and must be hung from the head while still alive in order to drain their blood through the tail. This is probably one of the reasons that lamprey fishing has fallen off somewhat in recent years, and the dish has become increasingly rare. That being said, interested foodies will have plenty of opportunities to taste lamprey, and could even prepare it themselves during a culinary vacation.

Learn to cook duck in a classic Bordeaux sauce!

2. Bordeaux Museums and Monuments

The city of Bordeaux is the perfect place for museum hopping and sight seeing, and with France holding free museum days on the first Sunday of every month (barring a few exceptions), the well-timed traveler will be flush with opportunities for such excursions. La Cité du Vin is the most popular museum in the city of Bordeaux, and includes immersive, hands-on experiences, as well as a variety of exhibitions and film projections. The museum is an enormous, multilevel institution, suitable for families and even for those who find wine less-than-palatable.

There are also many excellent art museums in Bordeaux, including the Bassins des Lumières, the world’s largest immersive digital art experience. The Bordeaux museum of fine arts is considered the main art museum in the area, and features statues, paintings, and drawings from the 16th century to the 21st century. For those interested in art from post-1900, there is also a contemporary art museum and numerous galleries line the streets.

Of Bordeaux’s 362 historic monuments, the Monument aux Girondins is perhaps the most recognizable. It was erected in the 1890s in honor of the Girondin revolutionaries beheaded in October 1792 by the revolutionary leader, Maximilien Robespierre. The Girondins were originally part of the French Legislative Assembly, until they began their militant support of the French revolution, assisting in the initial uprising. They were executed due to disagreements with Robespierre over how to organize the new republic, and they are considered political martyrs today.

You would also be remiss not to visit the Pont de Pierre, which was the first bridge to cross the full expanse of the Garonne River. This was a challenging architectural feat to accomplish due to the river’s strong currents. Ordered to be built by Napoleon during the first French Empire, construction on the bridge was not completed until 1822, a few months following Napoleon’s death. Legend says that the 17 arches in the bridge are meant to represent the 17 letters in “Napoleon Bonaparte.”

3. Culture and Heritage

The city of Bordeaux is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its important cultural touchstones and its place in French history. Bordeaux developed the first architecture exhibition and research center, Arc en rêve in the 1980s, and it is home to many theaters and its own Opera House, the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.

The Port of the Moon in Bordeaux city is also a protected heritage site, as the city has been a site of trade and cultural exchange for over 2000 years. Bordeaux is also an important stop on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela, which form ancient and well trodden pilgrimage routes throughout Europe. Pilgrims flock from all over the world to visit Bordeaux’s three main churches; the basilica of St Severinus, the basilica of St Michael and the cathedral of St Andrew.

4. Wine, Wine, Wine!

Although you will find yourself falling in love with every aspect of the Bordeaux region, the biggest draw is obviously the wine. The history of viticulture in Bordeaux began with Roman occupancy of the region sometime in the first century, pre dating the establishment of the region itself.  Wine plays an important role in regional traditions and especially the gastronomy, as noted above. Bordeaux is a wine lover’s paradise, and offers a variety of local vintages that promise to astonish the senses. The five main Bordeaux varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Carménère is also occasionally grown, though it is harder to cultivate than more popular grape varieties, and therefore less prevalent. In Bordeaux, Cabarnet Sauvignon and Merlot are grown at the highest rate.

Bordeaux is most well known for its robust red wine, with fruity notes that complement its bold flavor. Viticulture has long formed the lifeblood of Bordeaux’s culture and economy, and the region’s history is intrinsically linked to its development. The finest wine cellars in the world all contain a selection of curated Bordeaux vintages.

Discover the Wines of Bordeaux!

The Bordeaux region is a fantastic place to visit on vacation due to its mild climate and many walkable cities and towns. Bordeaux is also home to a number of concerts and outdoor music festivals, many of which are free. The Bordeaux Fête de la Musique is a free music festival that takes place during the Summer Solstice on June 21st from dusk till dawn, taking place on the city streets and inside participating bars and restaurants. This music festival was instituted by the French Ministry of Culture in 1982 and quickly adopted across the globe as World Music Day, encouraging musicians of all types and skill levels to take to the streets and perform.

When it comes to French cities, Bordeaux is second only to Paris in terms of cultural relevance and style. A visit to France is simply incomplete without a trip to Bordeaux, but don’t just take our word for it. Why not browse our favorite cooking experiences in Bordeaux and start planning your French culinary vacation today?

Check out all our tours in Southwest France!

By Chloe Dubisch

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