| The Bordeaux Wine Experience and the city of Bordeaux |
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Bordeaux a UNESCO World Heritage site
Bordeaux has been officially included on the list of of UNESCO World Heritage sites as of June 28th 2007. This distinction recognises the beauty and unity of style of Bordeaux's architectural heritage which remained remarkably well-preserved. The Bordeaux World Heritage site is the largest urban entity to be so honored. It covers 1,810 acres, or half of the city, from the outer boulevards to the banks of the Garonne.
Bordeaux, the capital of the Gironde department and an 18th century architectural gem, owes its beauty to architects spanning a number of periods: Jacques Gabriel (Les Allées de Tourny), Victor Louis (Le Grand Théâtre), Jacques d’Welles (the municipal stadium), and Richard Rogers, who designed not only the Beaubourg Centre in Paris, but also the Bordeaux Court of First Instance.
Above and beyond its lovely architecture, Bordeaux was chosen for its attractive, vibrant, and cosmopolitan districts.
Introduction to Bordeaux
After Marseille, Bordeaux is the oldest trading port in France . From Roman times the export of wine was the basis for a modest prosperity but under English rule (1154-1453), the merchants began making immense fortunes from their monopoly of wine sales to England . After the discovery of the New World , Bordeaux took advantage of its Atlantic position to diversify and extend its wine market. Today the Bordeaux region produces over 44 million cases of wine per year.
The region's history began thousands of year's ago when the Cro-magnon man lived in the caves of the Périgord and left cave paintings in sites such as Lascaux and Les Eyzies. More recent remnants of Aquitaine's history date from the time of Eléonore of Aquitaine, consort of Louis VII, King of France. When she married Henry Plantagenet, who became King of England in 1154, she began several centuries of conflict between the French and English for control of Aquitaine. Today, the fortified villages and castles built during this time offer charm to the winding countryside and provide interesting stops along the road.
The city of Bordeaux is stunning when approached from the south along the river. It's big, with a population of over half a million, and obviously rich - as it has been since the Romans set up a lively trading center here. Especially attractive is the relatively small eighteenth-century center, paid for by the expansion of colonial trade.
As the world's capital of wine, Bordeaux is famous for its French lifestyle. This historical city also features some of Europe 's most charming and impressive examples of 18 th century architecture.
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The City of Bordeaux
Bordeaux is reasonably spread out along the western side of the River Garonne, with the eighteenth-century old town lying between the place de la Comédie with the Grand Theatre by architect Victor Louis, to the north, the imposing buildings of the river bank and the cathedral to the west. North of the center is the vast open square of the esplanade des Quinconces , and further still, the Jardin Public, containing some 
very scant remains of Bordeaux's Roman past.
Some of the city's monuments have been listed as World heritage Sites by UNESCO. At the present the mayor of Bordeaux has initiated a number of ambitious publics' works projects worthy of a major European city. The redevelopment of the quays is the most striking example. Cruise ships often come to weigh their anchor along the Bordeaux waterfront, one of the most beautiful waterfronts in Europe. The quays are bordered by the Place des Quinconces, the largest square in Europe.
Many museums and monuments are more than happy to welcome you!
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Entertainment in Bordeaux
For evening entertainment you'll be sure to find a performance of music or theatre up to your taste. Bordeaux hosts a number of major international events throughout the year. The highpoints this year:
- Salon des Antiquaires (antiques fair)
- Fête du vin (wine festival)
- Festival d'été (summer festival)
- Festival International d'Orgue (organ music)
- Fête du vin nouveau et du brocante (new wine and nearly antiques)
- Festival international du Cinéma au Féminin (women in cinema)
- Novart (multi-arts).
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Shopping in Bordeaux
And last but not least: Bordeaux offers some of the finest shopping. All of the French luxury brands are available and you'll be sure to go home with your own ‘coup de coeur' . Get your credit cards ready in the famous Golden Triangle, the shopping area where you will find them all: Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Hermès, Escada, Lacoste, Longchamp and many more...
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a. Musée d’Aquitaine The Musée d’Aquitaine presents the History of Bordeaux and its region, from prehistoric times to the 20th century. - The museum will provide visitors with free audio guides in English, Spanish and French. b. Musée des Beaux-Arts This museum offers a comprehensive panorama of the main movements in western art from the Renaissance to the Second World War. Admission: 3 euros per person. c. Musée des Arts Décoratifs This museum, installed in a very fine Louis XVI town house, presents collections of furniture, ceramics, glassware, gold and silver work, and wrought iron, alongside a recreation of 18th century Bordeaux and, with the Raymond Jeanvrot collection, picturesque and moving royalist souvenirs of the 19th century. d. CAPC Musée d’art contemporain An old harbour warehouse, built in 1824, to store provisions from the colonies. The gallery presents works by internationally reputed contemporary artists e. Maison de l’Architecture et du Cadre de Vie en Aquitaine (Aquitaine architecture and lifestyle museum) |
f. Museum d’Histoire Naturelle This museum was one of the first public collections created shortly after the French Revolution, drawing from rich private natural history collections, evidence of the great passion of the aristocracy and upper middle class for science. g. Musée national des Douanes The museum presents an historical overview from ancient times to today of the challenges, organization and workings of the French Customs and Excise service. h. Centre Jean Moulin Created in 1967 at the instigation of Jacques Chaban-Delmas, French Resistance Fighter and General de Gaulle’s national military representative, the Centre National Jean Moulin, a museum and documentation center dealing with the Second World War, presents collections on three floors devoted to the Resistance, Deportation and the Free French Forces. i. Cap Sciences The Center for Scientific, Technical and Industrial Culture (CCSTI) for the Aquitaine region, Cap sciences is a place devoted to exhibitions and events, with a mission to disseminate scientific and technological learning to the general public.
j. Musée Goupil The Musée Goupil houses the estate of Maison Goupil, a dynasty of Parisian art publishers active from 1827 to 1920. |
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The history of Bordeaux in a nutshell
56 BC 1137 1154 1305 1453 1581 1615 1712 1729 |
1793 1808 1824 1871 1944 1947 1967 1995 2000 2007 |
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Wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region, France
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