Things to do in Bordeaux

Landmark · The riverfront

The definitive eighteenth-century square facing the Garonne, with the world's largest reflecting pool laid out in front of it.

Local tip: The mirror alternates between a thin film of water and a rising mist on a cycle. Go at dusk when the facade lights come on and the reflection is at its best, and expect to share it with every child in the city in summer.

Neighborhood · Between the cathedral and the river

The medieval and eighteenth-century core — narrow lanes, small squares, and the densest concentration of restaurants and bars.

Local tip: Place du Palais and Place Saint-Pierre are the pretty ones and the ones you pay for. The streets between rue des Bahutiers and the cathedral have better food at lower prices and almost no visitors.

Neighborhood · North along the river

The old wine merchants' quarter — long straight streets of former chais, now antique dealers, galleries and the Sunday riverside market.

Local tip: The Marché des Chartrons on the quay on Sunday mornings is the best in the city. The Cité du Vin is a short walk further north and the ticket includes a glass of wine on the top-floor belvedere, which is the best view of the river bend.

Nature · 60 km west

A tidal bay of oyster beds and stilt huts, backed by the tallest sand dune in Europe overlooking the Atlantic.

Local tip: The train to Arcachon takes under an hour and runs frequently, so no car is needed for the bay itself. Eat oysters at a producer's shack in Cap Ferret or L'Herbe rather than in Arcachon town, where you pay double for the same thing.

Culture · Right bank, across the Pont de Pierre

A former military barracks turned cooperative of workshops, skate park, organic canteen and street art, on the quieter side of the river.

Local tip: The right bank is where the city's cheaper and more interesting life increasingly is. The Jardin Botanique next door is free, and the view back at the eighteenth-century facades from this side is the one worth photographing.

Nature · 40 km east

A medieval hill village of limestone above the vineyards, with a monolithic church carved out of the rock beneath it.

Local tip: There is a direct train, so you can taste properly without driving — which is the whole point and something a surprising number of visitors fail to arrange. The underground monolithic church can only be seen on a guided tour booked at the tourist office, and it is the actual reason to come.