At Leisure
Local Gems
At leisure
Bordeaux, on foot.
For guests wishing to explore during planned free time, the following recommendations can be enjoyed at your own discretion.
i.
Place du Parlement
SQUARE · SAINT-PIERRE
An 18th-century square at the heart of the historic quarter, ringed by cafés and softened by the evening light that falls on its stone façades. A natural first stop, ora late-afternoon pause.
Five minutes from Hôtel de Sèze
ii.
Place de la Bourse & Miroir d'eau
ARCHITECTURE · QUAYS
Bordeaux's most photographed ensemble — the classical façade of the Bourse reflected in a thin film of water on the opposite quay. Best seen at dusk, when the stone turns amber.
Quai de la Douane
iii.
Bar à Vin du CIVB
WINE BAR · CITY CENTRE
Operated by the Bordeaux wine council in a grand room off Allées de Tourny — a broad by-the-glass selection sourced from across the appellations, at notably civil prices. Ideal for a single reflective glass.
3 cours du XXX Juillet
iv.
Rue Notre-Dame & the Chartrons
NEIGHBOURHOOD · CHARTRONS
Once the quarter of the great 18th-century négociants,now a slower street of antiquarians, small galleries and quietly excellent wine bars. Try Le Sobre Chartrons for a seat among the exposed beams.
Ten minutes along the quay
v.
Porte Cailhau & La Grosse Cloche
MONUMENT · OLD TOWN
Two survivors of the medieval ramparts — a 15th-century gateway raised in honour of Charles VIII, and the old bell-tower of the Hôtel de Ville whose chime still marks the hour.
Place du Palais
vi.
A proper canelé
PÂTISSERIE · CITY CENTRE
The small, fluted, rum-and-vanilla pastry that traces its origins to the convent bakeries of Bordeaux. The historic maisons —Baillardran and La Toque Cuivrée — make the classic; any good bakery will do.
A quiet ritual at four o'clock
At leisure
Saint-Émilion, slowly.
i.
Église Monolithe
MONUMENT · UNESCO
The largest monolithic church in Europe — carved as a single block from the limestone plateau in the 12th century, 38 metres long and 12 high. Tours pass through the nave, catacombs and the hermitage of the Bretonmonk himself.
Book in advance at the Office de Tourisme
ii.
The Bell Tower
VIEWPOINT · TOUR DU CLOCHER
196 steps up the bell tower of the monolithic church,rising above the tiled roofs to a view that runs out over the vineyards for miles. Best climbed in late afternoon, when the light turns golden across the hills.
Separate ticket from the church tour
iii.
Fabrique de Macarons
PÂTISSERIE · 1620
At 9 rue Guadet: Nadia Fermigier preserves the original recipe of the Ursuline nuns — rustic almond, sugar and egg white, baked on parchment. Quite unlike the Parisian cookie of the same name. Pair, as tradition allows, with a Sauternes.
9 rue Guadet
iv.
Cloître des Cordeliers
CLOISTER · 14TH CENTURY
A 14th-century Franciscan cloister whose underground cellars have produced sparkling wine since the 1890s. A single-nave church, columned cloister, and a shaded garden that invites one to sit a while.
Rue de la Porte-Brunet
v.
A glass in the square
SQUARE · PLACE DU MARCHÉ
The former market square at the foot of the monolithic church is lined with terraces that catch the evening sun. The wines are, inevitably, local — a glass of right-bank Merlot beneath the bell tower is its own kind of itinerary.
Beneath the monolithic spire
vi.
Tour du Roy
RAMPARTS · KEEP
The limestone donjon of 1237, 32 metres tall — the lastroyal keep of its kind in the Gironde. Climb the hundred-odd steps for a second view of the village, or simply circle its walls at the cooler end of the day.
A short walk from Place du Marché
