Bordeaux, World Heritage Site since 2007
The city of Bordeaux looks resplendent in its 18th-century grandeur.
World wine capital, the city of Bordeaux looks resplendent in its 18th-century grandeur. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2007. Among highlights, see the Grand Théâtre, Place de la Bourse and its ‘water mirrors’, and the picturesque quarters of Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul and Saint-Michel. As to the Musée d’Art Contemporain, it occupies a former colonial warehouse in the Quartier des Chartrons, famed for its wine houses. The grand quays beside the Garonne River offer a splendid 3km cycling trip through town.
Custom route
Custom route
4 Blaye / Bordeaux
From Blaye, cross the Gironde Estuary by ferry to Lamarque, in the midst of the Médoc, a peninsula packed with some of the greatest wine territories (or appellations) in the world. A provisional route takes you along quiet roads through the Médoc’s vines, fields and heaths to the edge of the city of Bordeaux, at Blanquefort. From here, a cycle track leads you gently to the heart of the great wine town. Bordeaux is a splendid, dynamic city, its exceptional architectural heritage listed as a World Heritage Site. Amidst its grand quarters, sample its many lively, trendy cultural and gastronomic offerings.
5 Bordeaux / Créon
Leaving Bordeaux, after crossing the St-Jean Bridge, a cycle track that runs in part alongside the Garonne leads to Latresne, where you join the beautiful Roger Lapébie cycle track. It’s named after the winner of the Tour de France in 1937 and is remarkably well laid out along a former railway line, with several dedicated stops in former railway stations. The way heads to Créon. This place, set around its arcaded central square, a remnant of a former bastide fortified town, is well worth a detour.