Bordeaux is a port city without being washed by the sea. It is watered by the Garonne River, which reaches here after traveling through much of southern France from its distant sources on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. And the truth is that when it runs alongside the streets of Bordeaux, it still has a long way to go until the mouth. Its waters have yet to join those of the Dordogne River to together form the Gironde estuary, which extends for about 70 kilometers before definitively opening up to the breadth of the Atlantic.
Such distance from the sea does not prevent Bordeaux from being closely linked to navigation. This has been the case since its Roman origins when the agricultural wealth of the area found an outlet abroad thanks to river boats. In fact, the importance of the place grew over time, until it became renowned and the sailors of the Middle Ages renamed Bordeaux the Port of the Moon, due to the curved shape of the river as it passed through the city.
Today, large maritime cruise ships arrive at that port and go up the river to moor almost in the historic center of Bordeaux. Specifically, on the docks next to the monumental Place de Quinconces, where two large columns remain standing that have been a visual reference for Garonne navigators for centuries.
A few meters away, cruise passengers and all travelers will find the most photogenic attraction in Bordeaux. The Miroir d'Eau. Something as simple as it is brilliant. A very long slab of granite that becomes a reflective and liquid sheet thanks to numerous water sprinklers. A space for citizen enjoyment, where it is possible to cool off, walk or dance, and of course take the most emblematic photos of the trip.
Its charm is multiplied by the environment. On the other side of the river crossed by the Pont de Pierre. With almost half a kilometer in length and 200 years of history, it is the oldest in Bordeaux. While on the other side of the Miroir d'Eau is the late Baroque art of the Bourse Palace and the Hôtel des Fermes. Both built in the 18th century, when it was decided to break the city walls to give a welcoming welcome to anyone who arrived by river.
And they got it. Even today it is the prelude to entering the tangle of streets and squares that were once enclosed by the wall. It is still possible to get an idea of this defensive system thanks to the conservation of two of its imposing doors. They are the Grosse Cloche with its famous bell and the Porte Cailhau from the late 15th century. This, 35 meters high, is a fantastic viewpoint over the docks, the river and the medieval street.
The vast majority of visitors get lost in this labyrinth of streets overflowing with restaurants and terraces. But there are also many monuments from the past. We must not forget that its old town is part of the world heritage site and is the French city, after Paris, with the most buildings protected for their historical value.
The complex includes the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, its slender Pey-Berland bell tower or the Arrow of Saint Michel that rises to 114 meters high. But the recognition of its heritage also extends to later jewels such as the palaces of the Place de la Bourse located between the fountain of the Three Graces, the Rohan palace which is today the Town Hall or the Grand Theater with its stately neoclassicism that coexists with the modernity of a work by Jaume Plensa on one side. And another sculpture linked to a Spanish artist stands out next to the façade of the baroque church of Notre Dame. It is a statue dedicated to Francisco de Goya who died in exile in Bordeaux.
In short, without going too far from the river, it is possible to take a walk through Bordeaux history. But just as it soon becomes clear that Bordeaux is not only the name of the most famous wines in the world, it also becomes clear that not everything is the past here. There is a lot of present and a look to the future. To see this, it is interesting to cross the wide riverbed of the Garonne.
On the right bank is the neighborhood of La Bastide. A less monumental area, but more contemporary, with proposals such as the Darwin center. An old barracks converted into a space where eco-product businesses, skate parks, walls where graffiti stops and the most avant-garde music stages coexist.
However, visitors to Bordeaux find it difficult to cross the river. The left bank with all its attractions is like a magnet. Because not only is the historical part there, you can also take walks along the elegant boulevards around the Place de la Comedie or make surprising purchases in the hardware stores in the Chartrons neighborhood.
And on the same bank, but letting yourself be carried by the course of the river, you reach the Cité du Vin. The great architectural landmark of today's Bordeaux, dedicated to the wines that are produced for miles and miles around. Those wines that have made the city famous throughout the planet and that have sometimes hidden the rest of its charms.
