5 Best Things to Do in Bordeaux

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Of course the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Bordeaux is wine. But besides visiting its modern wine museum ‘Cité du Vin’ and doing a wine tasting to test or expand your palate, the city has a lot more to offer. Not only is the center full of beautiful majestic buildings and monuments, but Europe’s largest sand dune is actually just an hour away and doubtlessly one of the highlights of the area.

1. DO A WINE TASTING AT ‘MAISON DU VIN’

While the ‘Maison du Vin‘ also offers professional wine tastings, we opted for our private version, by simply sitting outside in the sun and making our way through the extensive wine menu. The place was recommended to us by some friends who pointed out the convenience of being able to order half glasses for an affordable price, which would make it easier to try a variety of different wines without ending up underneath the table before even making it to your third glass. We were pleasantly surprised though when the very attentive waiter brought out our rather full glasses, which still only ended up costing us between €2-4. Whether these circumstances turned out to be in our favour or not may be open for discussion. We did enjoy our selection of white, rosé, and red wines, and for a student budget, the ‘Maison du Vin’ is certainly a recommendation. Make sure to also try a Canelé, the typical pastry of Bordeaux. While its taste didn’t blow us away, the pastry’s story makes it even more interesting: originating from the 17th century, the original recipe consisted of flower, sugar and egg yolks that were given to the nuns (who invented the little treats) by wine makers who used the egg whites to purify their wines but didn’t have any use for the yolks. Today, a rum and vanilla aroma make up the characteristic taste of the Canelés.


2. VISIT THE ‘DUNE DU PILAT’

An hour drive from Bordeaux lies the ‘Dune du Pilat’, Europe’s largest sand dune and what might turn out to be the highlight of your Bordeaux visit. If you’re traveling by car or can rent one via the App getaround like we did, there’s a small free parking lot just outside the camp grounds in front of the dune. Walking across the campsite, all of a sudden a huge imposing wall of sand will appear in front of you. With your feet sinking into the sand, you’ll slowly make your way up the dune, arriving to a magnificent view on top, with the Atlantic ocean in front of you and endless stretches of sand to either side. After we let out our inner child by running up and down the dune, we found ourselves a quiet spot at the very top to enjoy our golden hour picnic, which eventually turned into a sunset glass of wine. Don’t miss out on this impressive piece of nature when visiting Bordeaux!


3. ENJOY THE VIEW FROM ‘TOUR PEY BERLAND’

229 steps will leave you equally exhausted and dizzy, but I assure you, the view from on top of the ‘Tour Pey Berland‘ will make up for all hardship. Although being free for students, you do have to make a reservation for a time slot, as the narrow stairway hardly allows for people to pass by each other on their way up and down at the same time.


4. LEARN ALL ABOUT WINE AT THE ‘CITÉ DU VIN’

Make sure to schedule enough time to explore the modern wine museum ‘Cité du Vin‘ just north of the city center. With many interactive installations and countless points to listen to interesting facts of the audio guide, you won’t even notice the hours going by. Before you know it, it’s time for your free taster wine on the panorama deck of the museum. Don’t worry about visiting the museum in the morning: since it’s basically for educational purposes, a glass of wine at 12pm is perfectly justified.


5. TREAT YOURSELF TO A DELICIOUS BRUNCH AT CAFE ‘CONTRAST’

A totally instagrammable spot, cafe ‘Contrast‘ offers a great variety of sweet and savoury brunch options. From pancakes, over Açaí bowls, to the French ‘Tartines’ with creative topping combinations, every taste will be satisfied at this cafe. Don’t forget to make your reservation – word’s gotten around that this is the place to be for a good breakfast in Bordeaux.


MY TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS

  • The stunning water reflections at ‘Miroir d’eau‘ are especially cool to see at night when the art installation fills up with water every hour so that the lights of the surrounding buildings reflect on its surface.
  • Don’t miss out on the avocado and egg pancakes at ‘Café Kokomo‘, another delicious brunch spot – not to be mistaken for the ‘Kokomo‘ restaurant, which serves a really good Beyond Meat burger.
  • A 24-hour public transport ticket is only €5 and the tram is a great way to get around the city.
  • The entry fee for Cité du Vin for students is €16 (incl. the permanent + temporary exhibition + a glass of wine on the panorama deck).
  • The Séjours & Affaires Bordeaux Yser offers spacious hotel-like rooms not too far from the center for around €60 per night for a double room. Towels included and our double bed was extremely comfy.
  • ‘Michel MaBelle’ is a 100% vegan bakery with great coffee and delicious vegan treats, situated in the area around Basilique Saint-Michel, which is great for a little stroll.
  • Delicious Ramen and Currys can be found at ‘Umami Ramen‘, right next to Kokomo and a bunch of other restaurants we didn’t try but that also looked really good.

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