Most of us immediately think of wine when hearing the word Bordeaux. And even though it’s true that the city’s region has been shaped and defined by the alcoholic beverage, the urban hub in the South West of France is so much more than that. The many museums, the overload of historic buildings, the very pleasant car free streets… There are many more reasons than ‘just’ the wine to be visiting Bordeaux. Yet, for once, the cliché is being underlined thanks to a new walking tour launched by the city’s tourist office.
The new walking itinerary is called ‘A walk exploring the traces of wine in the city’ and it’s all in the title. The tour covers about 3 km worth of road within the city’s borders and will take you on a journey to discover the best of the local wine history.
Travel across the city from the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) to the Cité du Vin, finding out along the way how wine production and the wine trade have shaped the city known as ‘The Port of the Moon’ for centuries.
Bordeaux Tourisme
“Each stage of this route reveals the sometimes unsuspected winegrowing soul of the town. Winegrower? Yes, because the vines have been cultivated here and the wines have been made. So pay attention, look up and let yourself be carried away by this love story between Bordeaux and wine.”
Walking on a winey note
To be able to follow the route, you have two options. Either you buy the little map at the tourist office, or you go over to the website where you’ll find the entire route explained. Whatever option you choose, you’ll be able to listen to four different sound fragments as well, as long as you opt for the French version of the itinerary.
All in all, there are 25 different stops on the route, covering all kinds of aspects of the wine making history of the city. From merchants’ houses over weaving factories to the very modern Cité du Vin, you’ll see it all on your way through Bordeaux. Afterwards, there are still a couple of different options to extend your wine-themed journey. Either you’ve got some energy left in you and you embark on one of the three wine-themed cycling tours around the city, or you decide to relax all the way and you go to one of the city’s many wine bars to put all that theory you’ve just learned into action. Up to you to decide!
