Why You Should Visit Bordeaux

Monument aux Girondins, Bordeaux

The first time I got on a plane to Bordeaux, I had no idea where I was going.

Not to say I wasn’t familiar with the concept of Bordeaux as a city in France known for wine, because I was familiar… in theory. What I mean is the trip was a complete mystery/surprise and I was kept in the dark for months while Bill planned it. We were in Portugal on a family vacation in the Douro Valley for a week and then the Algarve for another week, and it was up to Bill to get us back to the US. Little did I know that we’d board a plane in Faro early on a Friday morning and by that afternoon, we’d be engaged at a vineyard in the Medoc. We ended up spending a long weekend in Bordeaux, post-engagement back in 2018, and we’ve since been back four times to plan our wedding and to get married.

Porte Cailhau, Bordeaux

Bordeaux is one of my favorite cities — not just in France, but in the world — for reasons that I’m only grasping now as I try to put this down in writing. To me, Bordeaux feels very authentically ‘French.’ The architecture is beautiful, the food and the wine is obviously other-worldly, you don’t see a lot of US stores or global chains, and it still seems rather ‘undiscovered’ at least when you’re comparing it to Paris or Nice. It’s not splashed all over Instagram in a way that makes me feel like I’ve already been there because I’ve seen 100 videos of the same Top 5 Speakeasies in Bordeaux. You can have a Michelin-star lunch at a bustling city rooftop, then hop in a classic Citroen, drive 30 minutes and tour the surrounding vineyards.

A street in Chartrons

And the best neighborhood? Chartrons. An ancient 14th century neighborhood built around the Chartreux Abbey, Chartrons is packed with restaurants, bars, antique shops, cafes, wine shops, boulangeries and more. It’s not only a destination for all our favorite restaurants, it’s a beautiful neighborhood to just walk around and do some window shopping.

Check out my Neighborhooding: Chartrons post for where to stay, drink, eat, shop and more in Bordeaux.


Where to Explore Beyond Bordeaux

Although you can spend weeks in Bordeaux city, it’s a great central location and jumping off point to explore the surrounding region.

NORTH

Driving north of Bordeaux city brings you to the Medoc region on the Left Bank of the Gironde, where some of the best/most expensive wine in the region is produced. Think: Chateau Margaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Lynch-Bages and more. Pauillac is the largest town in the region, with a train station if you want to come up for the day from Bordeaux. This region is also where one of my favorite cookbook authors, Mimi Thorisson, has a home. Read more about Mimi and her house in House & Garden UK.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor)

La Salamandre: If you want to have the most insane shellfish tower (whelks, periwinkles, 5 different kinds of shrimp), visit La Salamandre on the river in Pauillac. We came here before getting engaged at Chateau Ormes de Pez. Facebook

Chateau Ormes de PezThe vineyard & guesthouse where we got engaged way back in 2018. Owned by the same family as Chateau Lynch-Bages and Chateau Cordeillan-Bages, which are also worth a visit!

La Maison d’Estournel

La Maison d’Estournel: I haven’t been to this stunning guesthouse with onsite restaurant set amongst vineyards, but I get their email newsletters regularly so it’s been on my radar for awhile. The chef will even pack you a picnic basket to have lunch out in the vines!

EAST

Also known as the Right Bank of Bordeaux.

The village of St. Emilion. If you’re visiting in the summer, come early in the day as it gets CROWDED beginning at 10am.

St. Emilion: A highly picturesque medieval village teeming with wine shops and Michelin-starred restaurants, surrounded by vineyards and chateaux. If you can, stop by L’atelier de Candale for lunch or sunset dinner overlooking the rolling vineyards. This is where we had our wedding welcome dinner.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chateau Rigaud (@chateaurigaud)

Chateau Rigaud: Where we got married but so much more than a wedding venue! They host wine weekends in the spring and fall, where you can stay at the Chateau for a few nights, have all your meals prepared by their amazing chefs and get chauffeured around to visit the nearby vineyards and markets. I just saw that this summer they’ll also host a Pilates & Rose retreat. Website / Instagram

SOUTH

The French village of St. Jean de Luz, about 20 minutes from the Spanish border.

Les Sources de Caudalie: A spa-inspired hotel & resort about 30 minutes outside the city, Les Sources de Caudalie is at my #1 spot for where to go the next time we’re in Bordeaux. Website / Instagram

Biarritz: A seaside resort town that’s become the surf capitol of Europe, Biarritz is a little over 2 hours drive from Bordeaux.

St. Jean de Luz: A smaller town south of Biarritz with stunning French Basque style buildings.

If you want to pair a trip to Bordeaux with a road trip to Spain, check out my Bordeaux to San Sebastian Road Trip Itinerary.


Bordeaux Tips & Tricks

If you plan on visiting any vineyards, a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Make an appointment: While almost all the vineyards are open to the public, most require an advance appointment for a tour & tasting.
  2. Ask where to buy the wine: You won’t be able to buy any wine onsite (usually) because of the Bordeaux wine selling system where it’s all purchased by wine merchants speculatively before it’s bottled. But they’ll be able to  point you in the direction of a local shop where you an buy a bottle to enjoy while you’re in Bordeaux, or buy a case to ship home.
  3. Get a restaurant recommendation: Some of the best spots we’ve visited came at the direct recommendation of a vineyard manager or owner. They know the area and the best spots, so just ask!

How to Get to Bordeaux

Planes, trains and automobiles – we’ve done it all. If you’re going to be in & out and not spending any time in other parts of France, I’d recommend flying. If you’ll be in Paris before/after, definitely take the train. And if you’ve got loads of time, rent a car and drive because there’s lots to see between Bordeaux and Paris (the Loire Valley and its chateaux), as well as south and east of the city (Biarritz, Toulouse, Dijon).

  • FLY: You can fly into Bordeaux airport via a Paris connection from the US on AirFrance. Or, piece together a cheap flight on Norse to London, then EasyJet to Bordeaux.
  • TRAIN: The TGV high-speed train is about two hours between Paris and Bordeaux.
  • DRIVE: It takes about five hours to drive from Paris to Bordeaux. Biarritz/the Spanish border are only 2+ hours from Bordeaux.
Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *