Chartrons Quay Food Market

Where to go and what to see in Bordeaux to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.

Where to go and what to see in Bordeaux to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.

A vintage wine and culture destination with delicious tastings, grand architecture, gourmet restaurants and a glorious coastline. 

A museum dedicated to the history of wine and its relationship with Bordeaux, housed in a spectacular modern architectural jewel.

France’s premier wine-growing region is home to over 8,500 wineries (or chateaux) producing some 800 million bottles a year, 89 percent of which are red wines, including the legendary Grands Crus or ‘First Growths’ of the Medoc.

This small museum is a must for those interested in the long history of wine-making in France. Guided visits take you to the wine cellars to see exhibits of wine-making equipment dating from the present back 2,000 years. The tours explain the different grape varieties, how they make Bordeaux’s famous ‘Grand Vins’, and end with a wine tasting.

Set in a striking, 19th-century vaulted warehouse, the groundbreaking CAPC houses one of France’s most important collections of contemporary art, collected from around the world. It also hosts temporary exhibitions on specific themes.

An army barracks on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, abandoned in 2015, has become a laboratory for the future, where everything is organic, recycled, sustainable and green, with special events, sports, street art, food, and more.

Erected between 1894 and 1902, this wonderfully elaborate 54-meter-tall statue is dedicated to the memory of French Revolutionaries. It’s located in the enormous Place des Quinonces, the largest city square in Europe.