How to Spend 2 Days in Bordeaux
Two days provides time for sightseeing in the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and exploring the surrounding wine regions. Here’s how to spend the perfect two days in Bordeaux.
Pont de Pierre
Pont de Pierre, Bordeaux, France, 33000
The basics
The red-stone bridge consists of 17 spans–the exact number of letters in the name Napoléon Bonaparte–lined with elegant iron light posts. Each of the bridge’s pillars is capped by a medallion to honor both the emperor and Bordeaux’s coat of arms. While plenty of bicycle and walking tours will take you across or near the bridge, you’ll get the best photo ops if you sign up for a Garonne River cruise.
Things to know before you go
- The bridge is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly.
- The best place to admire the bridge and the cityscape in the background is from the right bank on Quai Deschamps or Quai des Queyries.
- If taking a river cruise, check whether meals and drinks are included.
How to get there
The bridge is easy to reach by public transportation. Tram Route A will get you to the bridge (stop at either Porte de Bourgogne or Stalingrad). Routes C and D will get you pretty close (just get down at St. Michel, an eight-minute walk away.)
Trip ideas
When to get there
The bridge can be visited any time of day, though you might find sunset the most atmospheric. Bordeaux weather tends to be at its most pleasant in the spring and summer, although August can get hot and crowded.
The Port of the Moon
Just north of the bridge sits the Port of the Moon, one of the most interesting places to go for a stroll. Here you'll find plenty of shops and arts and cultural attractions, and it's a great place to sit on a terrace for a glass of wine or a cup of coffee as you watch passersby.
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- Porte de Bourgogne
- Porte Cailhau
- Basilica of St. Michael (Basilique St. Michel)
- Grosse Cloche
- Place de la Bourse (Place Royale)
- Port of Bordeaux
- Museum of Aquitaine (Musée d'Aquitaine)
- Rue Sainte-Catherine
- Quai Louis XVIII
- Bordeaux Hôtel de Ville (Palais Rohan)
- Grand Theatre
- Port of the Moon (Port de la Lune)
- Bordeaux Cathedral (Cathédrale St. André)
- Girondins Monument (Monument aux Girondins)
- Quinconces Square (Place des Quinconces)