Bordeaux Highlights

Port Cailhau, one of the historic medieval gates of the city.

Bordeaux is a beautiful, historically significant city that will capture your heart and tastebuds. We spent 5 nights in a villa about 20 minutes outside of Bordeaux and here are some of the highlights that I would recommend.

1. Bordeuax Bike Tour

We booked a 2-3 hour bike tour through the city in the morning. Beware that if you, like us, stay outside ths city, leave plenty of time to get into the city and park as there is a lot of traffic. Biking in the city is very easy, flat and can enjoyed by anyone. Our guide, Jean Christophe, was not only knowledgeable but also took great care of our large group of nine bikers. The tour took us through some of the highlights of the city and I think that we unanimously agreed that it was one of the highlights of our trip. Not to be missed is the super hipster Darwin ecosystem on the right bank. On Wednesday nights, the beer flows like wine and DJs spin music in the courtyard. It's quite the scene!

2. St. Emilion Wine Tasting

Not far from Bordeaux lies the region and village of St. Emilion, a UNESCO world heritage site. The region of St. Emilion is world reknowned for the soil and miroclimates that foster growth of some of the world's finest red wines. Unlike the sprawling vineyards of Napa, the vineyards of St. Emilion are small and closely situated to one another, giving the region a distinct feel and landscape. Good neigbhors are important in St. Emilion!

View from the top of St. Emilion village

Not to be missed is a taste of the famous St. Emilion macaron. Unlike its more famous cousin, the St. Emilion macaron is not a pastel sweetly filled cookie but a flat almond flavored cookie. These delights were originally developed by nuns to supplement their vegetarian diets. Made from almond meal, sugar, and egg whites, these cookies are a taste of the past.

3. Food, Glorious Food!

Of course, no trip to Bordeaux would be complete without sampling the variety of delicious dishes. We started our week at the Sunday farmer's market on the left bank at Marches des Quais. Sandwiched between two oyster vendors, the market teams with rotisserie chicken, a staple for the Sunday meal in France, cheese, fresh produce, and other delicacies. We indulged in the fresh seafood and it did not disappoint. Washed down with a local white wine, the Sunday market was the perfect way to kick off our week in Bordeaux.

Oyster stand at the Sunday market

Fish monger at the Sunday market

Cheeses from the Sunday market.

I also meandered through Les Halles de Bacalan, across from City du Vin (more on that below). Unfortunately for me, it was close to 6 pm on Sunday and the market was shutting down, but it was still lively with loads of people enjoying a late Sunday afternoon. Especially this very good boy who begged so nicely for a fry from his owner.

Sidenote: I love watching locals and their dogs wherever I travel. Dogs ground us and remind us to live in the present. Their presence can indicate who is a local, and who is a tourist. They remind travelers that we are experiencing someone else's home and give a little insight into what life would be like if we were a local.

A local samoyed at the Sunday market.

Local winery dogs.

In addition to the lovely French cuisine, we also took a break to sample some sushi from Cote Sushi for lunch. It was nice to break up the wine and cheeses with some delicious fresh sushi. There were a plethora of other sushi restaurants as well.

When in Bordeaux, you must stry the famous Canneles des Bordeaux. This little morsel has a a crunchy outside with a soft custardy inside. A local delicacy, the canneles is flavored with vanilla and rum. We enjoyed ours with an afternoon espresso on a daily basis.

We also did a day trip to San Sebastian during our stay. It was a whole day affair and as a result, I'm not sure I would recommend it. However, San Sebastian was beautiful and I definitely want to go back sometime soon.

4. Wine All the Time

Last but not least are the wines of Bordeaux. Bordeaux was originally settled by the Romans and the Romans brought vines with them. As such, wine and wine production are closely rooted to the soul of Bordeaux. Following the fall of the Roman empire, Bordeaux wines were not as popular as some of their neighbors. However, with the marriage of Eleanor of Aquataine to King Henry II of England in the 12th century, and Bordeaux became English. Bordeaux flourished as a trading port and its number one export was Bordeaux wine.

We tasted the modern light red claret at Chateau Chelivette just outside of Bordeaux. It has the light refreshing taste, slightly richer and less sweet than a rose, that would be perfect served chilled on a summer day.

Claret wine from Chateau Chevilette

In addition to sampling the local wines of Bordeaux, you can also learn about the history of wine from ancient Egyptian times to modern day at the wine museum, Cite du Vin. Plan on spending a few hours here as the permanent exhibit on the top floors of the museum are wonderful. Following the exhibit, you can purchase wines from all over the world at the museum's wine shop as well as taste local varietals on the roof.

Bordeaux is easily accessible by train or plane. Once there, we did rent a car since we stayed in the country outside the city. However, if you are staying in the city, there is public transport as well as taxis and ubers. Or bicycles!