Busabout Adventures

The city centre lies between the flower-filled place Gambetta and the Garonne River. From place Gambetta, place de Tourny is 500m northeast, from where the tourist office is 400m to the east. Bordeaux’s train station, Gare St-Jean, is about 3km southeast of the city centre.

Looming above the city is Cathédrale St-André (05 56 81 26 25; admission free; 2-6pm Mon, 7.30am-6pm Tue-Fri, 9am-7pm Sat, 9am-6pm Sun). A Unesco World Heritage Site, the cathedral’s oldest section dates from 1096, but it mostly dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. It’s particularly renowned for its elaborate masonry carvings, best seen in the north portal. Behind the choir, the 50m-high belfry, Tour Pey-Berland, has a panoramic view at the top of 232 narrow steps.

Bordeaux’s museums have free entry for permanent collections; temporary exhibits cost €5 for adults, €2.50 for children. Occidental art buffs can trace its evolution from the Renaissance to the mid-20th century at Bordeaux’s exceptional Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts; 05 56 10 20 56; 20 cours d’Albret; Wed-Mon 11am-6pm). More recent works are on display at the CAPC (Museum of Contemporary Art; 05 56 00 81 50; Entrepôt 7, rue Ferrére; 11am-6pm Tue, Thu-Sun, to 8pm Wed, closed Mon) in a former colonial warehouse.

Gallo-Roman statues and prehistoric relics dating back some 25,000 years are the highlights of the impressive Musée d’Aquitaine (Museum of Aquitaine; 05 56 01 51 00; 20 cours Pasteur; 11am-6pm Tue-Sun).

Exquisite pottery, porcelain, gold, iron and glasswork, and furniture are displayed at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts; 05 56 00 72 50; 39 rue Bouffard; museum 2-6pm Wed-Mon, temporary exhibits from 11am Mon-Fri).

The landscaped Jardin Public (cours de Verdun), established in 1755 and laid out in the English style a century later, includes the Jardin Botanique (05 56 52 18 77; admission free; 8.30am-6pm), founded in 1629 and at its present site since 1855; and the nearby Musée d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum; 05 56 48 29 86; 11am-6pm Mon & Wed-Fri, 2-6pm Sat & Sun).

Pretty place Gambetta, a central open area ringed by shady benches, wasn’t always so peaceful – during the Reign of Terror that followed the Revolution, a guillotine placed here severed the heads of 300 alleged counter-revolutionaries.

BORDEAUX VINEYARDS
Bordeaux is one of France’s premier wine-growing areas. The region is divided into 57 appellations (production areas), and there are over 5000 chateaux around Bordeaux producing the region’s trademark reds, rosés, sweet and dry whites, and sparkling wines.

The tourist office organises tours of local vineyards between May and October, starting at €50 and rising to €75 for domaines such as Médoc or St-Emilion. Tours include wine tastings and lunch. The smaller chateaux often accept walk-in visitors, but it’s best to make advance reservations. Many chateaux close during the vendange (grape harvest) in October.

For DIY wine trailing, the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux (05 56 00 22 88; 3 cours du 30 Juillet; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) supplies a free map of vineyards and chateaux.

You can stock up at Bordeaux’s wine shops, including Bordeaux Magnum (05 56 48 00 06; 3 rue Gobineau; 10am-7.30pm Mon-Sat) and l’Intendant (05 56 48 01 29; 2 Allée de Tourny; 10am-7.30pm Mon-Sat), but don’t worry if you’re running low on funds – exceptional wines are on sale at Bordeaux’s supermarkets for just a few euros. These same wines command a small fortune at some of the world’s flashiest restaurants.

Banks offering currency exchange can be found on cours de l’Intendance, rue de l’Esprit des Lois and cours du Chapeau Rouge.

Cyberstation (23 cours Pasteur; per hr €3; 9.30am-2am Mon-Sat, 2pm-2am Sun) Internet access.

Post office (37 rue du Château d’Eau) Currency exchange and Cyberposte.

Tourist office (05 56 00 66 00; www.bordeaux-tourisme.com; 12 cours du 30 Juillet; 9am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 9.30am-6.30pm Sun Jul & Aug; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9.30am-6.30pm Sun May, Jun, Sep & Oct; 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 9.45am-4.30pm Sun Nov-Apr)

Train station tourist office (9am-noon & 1-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-noon & 1-3pm Sun May-Oct; 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Mon-Fri Nov-Apr).

Cassolette Café (05 56 92 94 96; www.cassolettecafé.com, in French; 20 place de la Victoire; lunch menu €9.90, dinner menu €11.90; noon-midnight) Fun, friendly and fantastic value, this lively place serves up delicious cassolettes (casseroles) created from your own personal checklist of ingredients.

Moshi Moshi (05 56 79 22 91; 8 place Fernand Lafargue; mains from €15; 8pm-2am Tue-Sat) Japan meets France head-on at this super-chic minimalist place. The open kitchen lets you watch its celebrated chefs roll out sushi with unusual twists like foie gras and magret de canard (duck).

Near the covered market, Marché des Capucins (6am-1pm Tue-Sun) has lots super-cheap fruit and vegetable stalls (rue Élie Gintrec; 8.30am-12.45pm Mon-Sat). There’s also a Champion supermarket (place des Grands Hommes; 8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat) and an excellent fromagerie (4 rue Montesquieu; closed Mon morning & Sun).

Le Fournil des Capucins (62-64 cours de la Marne), near place de la Victoire, is a bakery that never closes.

Bodega Bodega (05 56 01 24 24; 4 rue des Piliers de Tutelle; noon-3.15pm & 7pm-2am Mon-Sat, 7pm-2am Sun) The biggest and best Spanish bar in town has two floors of tapas, tunes and trendy types.

Student hangouts ring the place de la Victoire, including Chez Auguste (05 56 91 77 32; 3 place de La Victoire; 7am-2am) and nearby Café Pop (Café Populaire; 05 56 94 39 06; 1 rue Kleber; 8pm-2am Tue-Sat), with a postmodern vibe and cool French tunes.