Our river cruise started and ended in the port of Bordeaux, France, a lively city in the Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. As the ninth largest city in France with over 5 million tourists per year, Bordeaux is a city rich in history, excellent eats and a thriving metropolis perfect for visitors looking to experience city life and an ideal base from which to explore the wineries of the region.
Here’s what we did on our river cruise in Bordeaux aboard Uniworld’s River Royale.
River cruise Bordeaux: Top excursions
If you’re not paying attention, you might mistake Bordeaux for Paris and that’s most definitely a good thing. Bordeaux tourism is booming and it’s without a doubt a beautiful city — complete with freshly cleaned limestone facades everywhere you look. The local markets are a must-do including the walk along the Quai des Chartrons on Sunday morning. The city is luxurious without feeling pretentious and is a wino’s delight.
We took a stroll down the Quai des Chartrons upon first arriving in Bordeaux to take in the sights from the Garonne before cruising down the river the next day. Here’s a shot of the Palais de la Bourse which overlooks the river and is beautifully lit up at night.
Our Bordeaux river cruise then returned to the city in time for the weekend at the end of the cruise and we took a nighttime bus tour for a history lesson and to take in the city’s beauty at night. On our very last day, we ended the cruise with a leisurely morning bike ride excursion in the city with guide Paolo. We made several stops all around the city center including a stop to check out the bronze statue below of Francisco Goya, the Spanish artist who spent the last four years of his life in Bordeaux. The city of Madrid gifted the statue to Bordeaux back in 1995 and it now stands just footsteps from the Notre-Dame church, where Francisco Goya’s funeral was held.
We also stopped to learn about the ancient Roman ruins that are hidden in between grand boulevards and quaint residential streets. Under protection of the state since 1911, the amphitheater, called the Palais Gallien, is being preserved by the city and reminds us of the Roman influence that once was.
And to do like the locals do on our river cruise Bordeaux, we parked our bikes and popped in to an outdoor cafe for a much-needed drink out on the patio and just watched the hubbub of the city on a Saturday morning.
Have you ever been to Bordeaux or done a France river cruise in Bordeaux? It’s one of my new favorites.
More to come soon about other excursions while on our France river cruise. Stay tuned!
I was in Bordeaux in september, and it was wonderful. Such a beautiful city. And just like Lyon, it’s like a minature of Paris 🙂
Yup, can’t agree with you more. I hope to go back soon. Thanks for checking out my post!
Yes, I agree with you – Bordeaux is a great city to live in and I’m not just saying that because I live here.
That said, the market on the quai really bothers me. The quality is very good, I won’t deny that, but honestly I feel that it is just for tourists and bordelais bobos. It is very beautiful, but I shop at other markets because I just can’t afford that quai market. Not only that, I find that the vendors are not that friendly.
I know where you took that last picture and I’ve got to ask, where did you eat in Bordeaux? My experience has been that that square is not the best place to eat in the city. It’s ok, but there is a lot better than Place du Parlement. I definitely agree with what you said about the food in Bordeaux – it is excellent in my opinion.
Did you know that the Roman ruins are only a small part of the original complex? If I remember correctly, the entire complex took up 20 times the area occupied by the ruins today.
I’d love to hear more about your thoughts on Bordeaux, especially about the food.
Hello, I have to say that without more research and spending more time in Bordeaux, I can’t really give an informed opinion on markets or restaurants. We were on a river cruise, ate our meals on the ship and had limited time in each place. We did see some interesting looking gastronomic restaurants on a tour though that I’d love to go back and try. I will definitely have to return to Bordeaux. And yes, I looked up more info about the Roman ruins and it’s fascinating. I tried to include as much as I could remember from our tour. 🙂 I love the “water mirror” in front of the Bourse there. Great place to cool off!
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