Attractions

Wine exporters welcome guests to sample wines and learn about the industry. Plan your trip with maps, guides, and advice about local wines, available free from the Maison du Vin (House of Wine), 1 cours du 30-Juillet (tel. 05-56-00-22-88; www.vins-bordeaux.fr), opposite the tourist office. To make the rounds of the vineyards, consider alternative forms of transport: bus, bicycle, or even walking.

Strolls through Town -- The prettiest, most interesting, and most historic neighborhood in Old Bordeaux is the "golden triangle," defined by cours Clemenceau, cours de l'Intendance, and les allées de Tourny. You can traipse around the old town on your own, because it's fairly compact, or take advantage of the 2-hour walking tour the tourist office arranges daily at 10am (year-round) and 3pm (mid-July to mid-Aug only). Conducted in both French and English, tours take in all the most important sites and begin at the tourist office. Cost is 7.50€ ($9.75) for adults, 6.50€ ($8.45) for students, 5€ ($6.50) for children 13 to 18, and free for children under 13. We strongly recommend the tours, which correspond to the opening hours of each of the monuments listed. Reserve in advance and call to confirm. Additionally, from April 15 to November 15, every Wednesday and Saturday at 10am, a bus tour (7.50€/$9.75) with French and English commentary departs from in front of the tourist office. The 2-hour tour includes 30 minutes of walking through narrow alleyways.

If you go it alone, your tour of Old Bordeaux can begin in the heart of this old city at place de la Comédie, a busy traffic hub that was once the site of a Roman temple. On this square, one of France's great theaters, Grand Théâtre, place de la Comédie (tel. 05-56-00-85-95; www.opera-bordeaux.com), the city's cultural symbol, was built between 1773 and 1780 as testimony to the burgeoning prosperity of Bordeaux's emerging bourgeoisie. This is one of the last remaining 18th-century theaters in the world, rivaling those of Naples, Stockholm, and Milan. A colonnade of 12 columns graces its façade. Surmounted on these are statues of goddesses and the Muses. If you'd like to visit the richly decorated interior, phone the tourist office to ask about the schedule of weekly guided tours. They cost 6€ ($7.80) for adults and 5€ ($6.50) for children.

From here you can walk north to esplanade des Quinconces. It was laid out between 1818 and 1828, and covers nearly 12 hectares (30 acres). A smaller but lovelier square is place de la Bourse, bounded by quays opening onto the Garonne. It was laid out between 1728 and 1755; the fountain of the Three Graces is at its center. Flanking the square are the Custom House and the Stock Exchange.

Churches -- The largest and most ostentatious church in Bordeaux is the Cathédrale St-André, place Pey-Berland (tel. 05-56-52-68-10), near the southern perimeter of the old town. The sculptures on the 13th-century Porte Royale (Royal Door) are admirable; see also the 14th-century sculptures on the North Door. Separate from the rest of the church is the 47m (154-ft.) Tour Pey-Berland (tel. 05-56-81-26-25), a belfry begun in the 15th century. Foundations date from 900 years ago. The church is open July to September daily 10 to 11:30am and 2 to 6:30pm. Off season, hours are daily 8:30 to 11:30am, Monday to Saturday 2 to 5:30pm. The tower is open daily June to September 10am to 6pm, October to May 10am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5:30pm. Tower admission is 5€ ($6.50) for adults and 3.50€ ($4.55) for those 25 and under. Organ recitals are sometimes held in July and August, usually on Thursday at 5pm. Admission is free.

Bordeaux, always a magnet for power, money, and ecclesiastical zeal, has four other important churches. For information about the churches described below, you can call the Presbytère de l'Eglise St-Michel (tel. 05-56-94-30-50), but most of the people who answer speak only French. The churches' hours vary slightly but are usually Monday to Saturday 2 to 5pm.

Foremost among the "secondary" churches is the Basilique St-Michel, place St-Michel (part of place Canteloup; no phone). The church itself, constructed in stages from the 14th to the 16th century, is incredibly charming. More impressive is the Fleche St-Michel across the street. This tower, erected in 1472, is the second-tallest stone tower in France (after the cathedral at Strasbourg), rising 112m (367 ft.). The tower is open for visits June to September, daily 2 to 7pm, for 2.50€ ($3.25). You climb 228 steps to the top, where you have sweeping views over the port and the Garonne. The rest of the year, unless you receive special permission from the tourist office, you'll have to appreciate the architecture of the tower from the ground. During July and August, every Friday from 5 to 7pm, the bells in the tower are rung as part of a free carillon concert that can be heard throughout the neighborhood.

Another interesting church is Basilique St-Seurin, place des Martyrs de la Résistance (tel. 05-56-93-89-28). Its most ancient sections, such as its crypt, date from the 5th century. See the porch left over from an earlier church; it has some capitals from the Romanesque era. In summer, hours are Tuesday to Sunday 8:30 to 11:30am and 2 to 6:30pm; off-season hours are Tuesday to Sunday 7:30 to 11:30am and 2 to 5pm.

Abbatiale Ste-Croix, place Pierre-Renaudel (tel. 05-56-94-30-50), gained attention in musical circles when its organ, a marvel built by a monk, Dom Bedos, was restored to its original working order in 1996. The church, a severe Romanesque structure from the 11th and 12th centuries, is revered for its stately dignity. In July and August, free organ concerts are presented Wednesday at 6:30pm; otherwise, the church is open only Thursday 10am to noon.

Museum -- Musée des Beaux-Arts, 20 cours d'Albret, Jardin du Palais-Rohan (tel. 05-56-10-20-56), has an outstanding collection from the 15th to the 20th centuries. Works by Perugina, Titian, Rubens, Veronese, Delacroix, and Marquet are on display. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 6pm. Admission is 5€ ($6.50) adults, 2.50€ ($3.25) students, and free for ages 17 and under.

Boat Rides -- The pont de Pierre, with 17 arches, stretches 478m (1,568 ft.) across the Garonne and is one of the most beautiful bridges in France. Built on orders of Napoleon I in 1813, the bridge can be crossed on foot for a view of the quays and the port. For an even better view, we suggest a tour of the port, which lasts about 90 minutes and goes up the river and all around the harbor. It departs from the Embarcadère des Quinconces, on quai Louis-XVIII, in the center of town. It's available year-round. The cost is 10€ ($13) for adults and 8€ ($10) for children under 10. For exact times and a description of other cruises, call the tourist office or Bateaux Ville de Bordeaux, Embarcadère des Quinconces, 7 quai Louis XVIII (tel. 05-56-52-88-88). Ask about the occasional floating concerts at night. Note that tours may be canceled without warning.

You may enjoy a cruise on one of France's mightiest (and least-visited) rivers, the Garonne. Year-round, Alienor Loisirs, quai Louis-XVIII (tel. 05-56-51-27-90 or 05-56-52-27-81), offers tours beginning in Bordeaux and heading upriver, touching down at such sites as Blaye, Cadillac, and Libourne. The schedule changes frequently, but usually includes cruises every Saturday and Sunday between June and September. Many begin boarding at around 11am for an 11:30am departure. A simple restaurant on board serves lunch, and departures are timed so that you can travel upriver, stretch your legs in some or all of the above-mentioned sites, and return to Bordeaux before 7pm. The cost, with lunch included, ranges from 45€ to 50€ ($59-$65), depending on the tour. There are fewer tours between October and March, and usually none during February.