Reflected glory

Bordeaux, once a sleepy gateway to its famed vineyards, is now a vibrant destination in its own right, says Gaby Soutar

Young people used to leave Bordeaux,” says our tour guide, Veronique, “Now they stay because the rent is cheaper than Paris, but it’s still a vibrant place.” Indeed, if you want a French break, but have exhausted the capital, visit this elegant port city instead.

According to resident Veronique, who leads walking tours for Bordeaux Tourisme, it’s changed over the last few two decades. No longer just a gateway to the wine regions, it’s a destination in its own right.

She leads us down side streets to show us some ancient blocks that haven’t been cleaned up.

“Does Edinburgh still have black buildings, like this?” she asks.

I suppose it does, but most of Bordeaux’s 18th century boulevards are lined with honey-coloured limestone blocks. (This material, which makes the region so fertile for vines, is the same stuff that makes the Garonne, which flows through the centre of town, beige).

Cours de l’intendance is one such pristine street, with trams silently hurtling down its centre. Veronique shows us which shops have sprung up, including a branch of upmarket chain & Other Stories.

However, independent places also survive nearby, like bookshop Librairie Mollat, La Parfumerie Bordelaise and a swanky new lifestyle store, Rainbow (“You used to only get places like this in Paris,” says Veronique proudly).

We pass by the Grand Theatre, then we’re onto the Place de la Bourse by the Pont de Pierre bridge, where you’ll find the 11-year-old Miroir d’eau water feature. It forms a flat pool to reflect the grand buildings and, every 15 minutes, the jets puff up fog, to signal the cycle is beginning again and tourists can assemble for selfies.

We’d found the ideal vantage point for this attraction, and almost everything else, in our four-star townhouse Le Boutique Hotel.

Our room was the comfortable Suite Chateau Haut Brion (all the rooms are named after wine chateaux). Its slightly wacky focal point is a giant bath, slap-bang in the middle of the room and framed by voile drapes, pictures of stars like Audrey Hepburn and a cinema-style flood light. Ooh-la-la.

But if that was for extroverted bathers only, there were also double sinks, Philippe Starck furniture, beds as soft as ripe Camembert and a welcome sample of one of this city’s

signature treat, the canele (a sort of rum pastry). Breakfast, served by their team of cheerful young staff, is a relaxed Continental affair, with, among other things, muesli, hams, cheese, and about 20 types of confiture. Wine and dinner – tapasstyle – is also served on the ground floor, and on their leafy terrace.

There’s a relaxed vibe to the hotel, and we would’ve liked to have lingered, but the city was calling.

If you’re planning a packed itinerary, the tourist office’s Citypass is available in three lengths of time (€29 for 24 hours, €39 for 48 hours or €46 for 72 hours) and, as well as free admission to almost every museum and gallery, it covers public transport.

Entry to the 18-month-old La Cité du Vin is also included. We took the Batcub ferry across the Garonne to see this amazing building, which was inspired by the eddies of the river and wine swirling in a glass.

I anticipated a worthy but dull museum experience, but this place is mesmerising, from the holographic actors in tiny viewing boxes, to interactive games and sensorial exhibits. Visits are rounded off with

Clockwise from main: the Place de la Bourse reflected in the Miroir d’eau; La Cité du Vin; the Suite Chateau Haut Brion at the Le Boutique Hotel

a glass of wine in their top floor Belvedere bar, with its panoramic views of the city.

For more sky-high vistas, visit Tour Pey-berland (free admission with the Citypass) which is part of the Cathédrale Saint-andré and near many of the city’s museums, like Musée des Beaux-arts de Bordeaux and Musee d’aquitaine.

It’s a tight squeeze up 231 steps, with Les Dawson-esque gargoyles along the highest steeple, where I had an attack of the collywobbles.

Back down onto firm terroir, and we still had so much more to do – the Capucin and Chartron markets, the CAPC contemporary gallery, not to mention a sampling of their edible specialities, which include entrecote, eel, and duck confit.

Before all that, I found that a glass of Bordeaux’s eponymous vin back in Le Boutique was the best medicine for any post-vertigo symptoms. n

I anticipated a worthy but dull museum experience, but La Cité du Vin is mesmerising

Le Boutique Hotel, 3 Rue Lafaurie Monbadon, Bordeaux (www.hotelbordeauxcentre.com/eng/). A double Elegance Room starts from €189. For more on the city, tours and for a Citypass, see www.bordeauxtourisme.com La Cité du Vin, 134 Quai de Bacalan, Bordeaux (www.laciteduvin.com/en)