When In Bordeaux...
Boat cruises, a wine museum, cat cafes and more.
When I look back on our stay in Bordeaux, a few places and experiences stand out, and while this list is by no means exhaustive, I like to think of it as an amuse bouche for a visit to this fabulous historic city.
Take a bus tour and boat cruise — I find it helpful to take walking, bus, and boat tours in new cities to help me get my bearings. In Bordeaux, there’s a helpful bus tour that leaves from the tourism office, which we took on our first rainy afternoon there. We also took Les Caneles Cruise, an hour and fifteen minute ride up and down the Garonne where we learned about the city’s fascinating history, architecture, and culture while sipping wine and munching on caneles. This is a must, especially when the weather is nice.
Taste your way through a market — I love a good market, and Bordeaux is home to a few good ones where you can load up on local specialties like canelés, oysters from the Bay of Arcachon, and asparagus from the Blayais. There’s the historic Capucins market, nicknamed "the belly of Bordeaux,” the Chartrons market that runs alongside the Garonne River, the Bacalan market, where you can buy fresh produce and/or enjoy home-cooked dishes and Halles de Talence.
Wander the Chartrons district — We enjoyed strolling around the fancy Chartrons district, which is located in the north part of the city right after Place des Quinconces, and if we return, this is where we’d probably stay. The small cobblestone main street, rue Notre Dame, is lined with boutiques, cafes, bakeries, restaurants and wine bars— a common theme in Bordeaux. We especially enjoyed Yarra Wine Bar and the adorable and delicious Micheline et Paulette bakery. The oldest bakery, Au Pétrin Moissagais, is also located in the Chartrons as well as another smaller wine museum, Le Musée du Vin et du Négoce. If you happen to be in Bordeaux in October, don’t miss the Chartron district’s Fête du Vin nouveau & de la Brocante, an open-air flea market and new wine tasting featuring more than 100 vendors.
Visit La Cité du Vin — A fully immersive sensory experience, La Cité du Vin is a museum dedicated to, you guessed it, wine. Opened in 2016, the museum offers all kinds of interactive exhibits showing the history and impact of wine throughout the ages and across countless cultures and civilizations. There are also restaurants and tasting areas. The building itself is something to behold and was inspired by the movement of wine swirling in a glass.
Get cozy at a cat cafe — It rained a bit while we were in Bordeaux so one day, we popped into Nekomata, a sweet little cat cafe where you can play (gently, and only if they are in the mood) with 9 rescue cats who roam around, nap, and occasionally snuggle with guests. The cafe operates like those in Japan, so offerings include Japanese drinks and specialties including matcha lattes, bubble tea, onigiri, steamed buns, bento boxes, and Japanese-inspired desserts. The cafe’s manga library has books about cats and Japan, and there’s a cute outdoor patio as well for when the weather cooperates.
Surround yourself with art. Another fun way to spend a rainy day is at the Les Bassins des Lumières. Housed in a former WWII submarine base, Les Bassins des Lumières is the world's largest digital art center where giant experiential projections from artists such as Dali, Gaudi, and Van Gogh seem to be leaping out of their enormous frames. There are six total exhibition areas including one that specializes in contemporary immersive art.
Have you been to Bordeaux? Share your favorite spots in the comments below.