Romantic Bordeaux Getaway

at a glance

The city opens up, the senses awaken

Morning
Arrive in Bordeaux and settle into your hotel, ideally located in the heart of the city. From the very first steps along the Garonne riverbanks, something shifts. The classical facades line up, stately and serene, and at Place de la Bourse, the water mirror reflects the sky with an almost surreal precision. You stop. You look. This is already Bordeaux.

Afternoon & Evening
Head to the Saint-Pierre district, with its cobbled streets, lively squares and terraces that smell of coffee and late afternoon sun. Look up at the facades, push open an old gateway, let yourself be surprised. In the evening, dinner for two in a restaurant in the old town. A first taste of South-West French cuisine, with duck, ceps and local wines.

at a glance

Bordeaux is best tasted

Morning
Head to the Cité du Vin, its bold silhouette rising from the riverbank. The visit unfolds like a sensory journey around the world: sounds, images, scents and intertwined stories. Wine is presented here as a living, cross-cultural heritage. From the rooftop belvedere, sip a glass while letting your gaze drift across the Bordeaux skyline and the winding ribbon of the Garonne below.

Alternative: the Bassins des Lumières, a monumental art immersion experience inside the extraordinary volumes of a former submarine base.

Afternoon & Evening
The elegant streets of the Chartrons district, once the territory of the great wine merchants. Today, you wander between antique dealers, art galleries and carefully decorated cafés. As the day winds down, board an aperitif cruise on the Garonne. The city unfolds from a new angle, bathed in the warm light of the evening. A suspended moment, not to be missed.

at a glance

a world apart

Morning
Train from Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station, destination Saint-Émilion. In under 30 minutes, the landscape shifts entirely. Vines stretch to the horizon, golden stone takes over, and a quiet stillness settles in. The medieval village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is best explored on foot: gently sloping lanes, the Cloître des Cordeliers, and the extraordinary monolithic church, carved directly into the rock over centuries.

Afternoon & Evening
Visit a wine estate committed to responsible viticulture, a guided tasting in a small group, in the calm of the cellars. Time to understand the intimate connection between terroir, climate and human expertise. Return to Bordeaux in the late afternoon.
Free evening: a quiet wine bar tucked in the old lanes, or an intimate dinner, depending on the mood.

at a glance

It begins in the ‘belly of Bordeaux’

Morning
Start the day at the Marché des Capucins, the covered market that has been beating at the rhythm of the city for centuries. Taste, chat, take it all in. Oysters from the Bassin d’Arcachon, local cheeses, still-warm pastries, everyone puts together their own perfect plate. A gentle stroll afterwards along the redesigned riverbanks or through the Jardin Public, a pocket of greenery and calm in the heart of the city.

Afternoon & Evening
Free time, shaped by your own curiosity: the collections of the CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art, or the Musée des Beaux-Arts; a street art trail through the creative neighbourhoods of La Bastide or around the Saint-Jean station area; or simply a restorative break at an urban spa. To close the evening in style, a gastronomic or bistro dinner — and one last carefully chosen glass.

at a glance

Leaving a Trace

Morning
Before heading off, one last stop: Cathédrale Saint-André and the Tour Pey-Berland that stands beside it. The cathedral impresses with its proportions, its sculpted portals, its softly filtered interior light — one of the finest Gothic buildings in the South-West of France. From the top of the tower, Bordeaux stretches out one last time, rooftops and the silver ribbon of the Garonne.

On the way to the station
The surrounding neighbourhood is perfect for a final stroll with a little shopping along the way. On Rue Sainte-Catherine and in the lanes of the old town, a few addresses worth seeking out:

• Independent wine shops or cellar doors for a carefully chosen bottle to take home — a Saint-Émilion, a Pomerol, or a local discovery,
• Artisan pastry shops for canelés, chocolates and Bordeaux specialities,
• Independent designer boutiques for jewellery, ceramics or home goods. A souvenir that actually tells a story.

Afternoon
Departure from Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station, a short walk from the city centre. The airport is easily reached by shuttle in around twenty minutes. You leave with arms pleasantly full, and a mind still rich with golden light, quiet mornings on the river, and the taste of good wine in good company.