Early Bird Season

The city that is the hub of wine-growing in southwest France has more jewels in its crown, writes Xenia Taliotis

Lonely Planet named Bordeaux the best city to visit in 2017. Although the city is arguably the wine capital of the world, it has much more to offer. Here are 10 non-wine related things to see and do while you’re of Punch and Judy — which has been doing the rounds since 1853. Also worth a day of anyone’s time is the Parc de Jales, a nature reserve that’s home to around 15 protected species. WHAT’S COOKING Michelin stars are shooting all over the place in Bordeaux but if you want to learn to cook like the pros, take a cookery course. You’ll find one of the best at the Michelin-starred restaurant of Le Saint James hotel. Cote Cours, led by super-patient Celia Girard, offers numerous packages, including world cooking and The Saint James Style, where you’ll cook a three-course lunch. Groups are small so you’ll get one-to-one attention. My group made cream of ceps with parmesan and hazelnut crumble and hake in fig leaves, plus two special-request classics — pommes mousseline — the world’s poshest mash — and rum and vanilla caneles, a Bordeaux speciality. saintjames-bouliac.com HERITAGE HERO In 2007, Unesco listed much of the city, making it the most expansive urban heritage site in the world. Covering 18sq km and including 347 monuments from the Age of En- lightenment to the 20th century, the listed area was commended for being an “outstanding example of innovative classical and neoclassical trends”, and for having “exceptional urban and architectural unity and coherence”. Explore on foot, on a bike or, most fun of all, on a Segway. bordeaux-trip.fr CRUISING THE GARONNE Bordeaux is a port so it’s not surprising that some of the best views are to be had are from the river. Croisieres Burdigala ( croisieres-burdigala-bordeaux.fr) runs some great trips, but navigating the Garonne’s waterways in a canoe or kayak is terrific fun; you can explore the river’s estuary and islands at your own pace. The riverfront has been transformed over the past 15 years and its warehouses are now full of trendy shops, bars and cafes, which are well worth checking out. CLIMB THE TOUR PEY BERLAND Only 19 visitors at a time are allowed up the flamboyant, 50m-high, gargoyled belfry, so you could be waiting a while before you can scale its 231 steps. However, the spectacular panoramic views will more than compensate for your patience and the steep climb. The freestanding tower, kept separate from