Despite being located 560 km South-West of Paris, Bordeaux is accessible by TGV from Paris in only 2 hours. It is a large Atlantic harbor, in the estuary of Gironde river, with a population of more than 550 000. Bordeaux has given its name to some of the most world-famous wines. It became rich in the 18th century, when slavery and sugar trade intensifies. Today it is both an agricultural (wine) and industrial centre.
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Last edited Mar 11, 10 11:26 AM.
Contributors: Monique M.
Bordeaux is a very nice town, I lived there for six months. If you like to go out and like latin music, check out the Calle Ocho in the Rue du Loup. It's quite small and hot, but the atmosphere is amazing! For just grabbing a pint, I really enjoyed the Houses of Parliament, an English pub in the rue du parlement. The rue Ste-Catherine is Bordeaux' shopping street and is the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. If you don't find what you're looking for there, you won't find it anywhere. A very nice calm place to sit and enjoy the surroundings is at the hôtel de ville, and also the place Gambetta. The city has a lot of public transport (trams & busses), but most things are within walking range.
Built on the meandering Garonne river, a stone's throw from the Atlantic Ocean, Bordeaux was already an important trading centre in the Roman era. With its harbour and maritime activities came extraordinary prosperity in the 18th century. Bordeaux, wine capital of the world. The Bordeaux name, of course, is synonymous with fine wines. The high standard of the wines is due not only to the quality of the soil but also to the type of vine and the wine-making procedures. The city is rich in exceptional monuments. The city, in addition to this precious heritage, is also very dynamic and creative, as testified by the many artistic events it hosts every year. POPULATION Inner city : 214,000 habitants Urban area : 697,000 habitants Built between 1773 and 1780 by Victor Louis, the Grand Theatre is famous for its exceptional acoustics. The grand staircase served as a model for Garnier when he designed the Paris Opera House. "Take Versailles, add Antwerp to it, and you will obtain Bordeaux". This is how Victor Hugo, impressed by the majestic 18th century buildings and the wide river, described the city. PLACES TO VISIT Place de la Bourse Bordeaux The place de la Bourse in Bordeaux is the former place Royale, completed in 1755. The Trois GrÅces (Three Graces) fountain, based on Visconti drawings, replaced in 1865 an equestrian statue of Louis the XVth, destroyed in 1792. Saint Andr¶ Cath¶dral Place Pey-Berland Bordeaux Originally built and consecrated in 1096, the cathedral was entirely rebuilt in the 13th century on a Latin cross plan whose only nave is 124 metres (408 ft) long. Tower of St. Michel Bordeaux The tower dates from the 1400's. Vist the nearby public gardens with landscaped lawns, river, and groves.
Je regrette de n'avoir visité de Bordeaux que (ou presque) son avenue commerçante, vendue comme la plus longue d'Europe ou je ne sais quoi. Typiquement ce qui ne m'intéresse pas. J'y retournerai mais seul et indépendant, car cette ville avait l'air belle et intéressante sitôt qu'on s'éloignait de Sainte-Catherine. Accros du shopping et accros de découverte et de culture pourront s'y plaire, mais devront soit se séparer, soit s'incommoder l'un de l'autre.
