If you read our last article about Bordeaux, you probably understood that walking through the city is the best way to discover it. If you start at La Place de la Victoire, all the must-seen are located at thirty minutes walking maximum.
Bordeaux city center is very pleasant with its small streets and its architecture, as we already mentioned it. Bordeaux may well be a big city, it has a real historical center that will charm you. You have beautiful walks to do, through the famous Place du Parlement with delicious restaurants.
One of the main monuments of the city can be seen in the middle of the Place Pey Berland: the Cathédrale Saint-André with a gothic style. The façade is amazing and remarkably well-made. The inside is quite sober and the stained-glass windows are magnificent. On the same place, you found the Tower Pey Berland which can be noticeable from far away thanks to the little golden statue at the top. We recommend you to climb in order to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Bordeaux: it is worth doing it and you will certainly take wonderful pictures. On this place you can also admire the town hall of Bordeaux, whose architecture reflects the one of the whole city.
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Here is another quarter that should not be missed: Quartier Saint-Michel! The place where the Basilica Saint-Michel stands is very nice, surrounded by a lot of restaurants that are to be discovered. The basilica has, like the Cathedral Saint-André, a bell tower which is independent from the main edifice and which is the second highest bell tower in France, after Strasbourg’s spire.
When you walk in Bordeaux, you can notice a lot of gates and arcs which will charm you: Bourgogne gate, Cailhau gate, Aquitaine gate… These various imposing gates make the singular characteristic of the city.
As far as these edifices are concerned, you need to go to the “Grosse Cloche” (Big Bell) located in Cours Victor Hugo: this medieval monument is a very important symbol for the city and greatly contrasts with the buildings around.
If you look for a green space, the park of Bordeaux is perfect to walk: you can see bridges, watering places, benches, paths… This park is surrounded by a golden barrier which can make us think of the one in the “Jardin du Luxembourg” in Paris.
If you have time, you can go the Capucins Market (Marché des Capucins), very renowned for its products and its convivial atmosphere.
Moreover, a very atypical cinema can be found in the old Bordeaux: the Utopia. This cinema is built inside an old church and offers a range of art and renowned films always in their original language: don’t hesitate to spend an evening there, as it is an incredible and unique experience. A little hungry? A café in the hall of the cinema will serve you delicious dishes or drinks.
And of course, you cannot walk in Bordeaux without tasting the cannelés, the city’s specialty. We recommend you to try them in specialized shops and not in supermarkets, in order to better enjoy them.
You have understood that walking in a city is the best way to discover it, discover the city life and the people who live there. We walked in theses streets for two years and we hope to come back more than once there!
Official web sites:
The two big Cannelés shops: https://www.la-toque-cuivree.fr/
https://www.baillardran.com/
Utopia cinema : http://www.cinemas-utopia.org/bordeaux/
2 Steps Abroad 