As someone living in this city, writing an article about things to do on a weekend in Bordeaux is not as easy as you might think. This amazing city has so many festivals, art events , amazing coffee places and restaurants that choosing the best things to do over a few days is almost impossible. If have more time to spend in Bordeaux be sure to check out my Bordeaux Customized map and my Audio walking tour in the the city center. I also have a longer article about my 50 favorite things to do in Bordeaux and its region.
For many years, Bordeaux was nicknamed the sleeping beauty. A stunning city turned into a somewhat shady town following years of neglect. However, in the last two decades, the beautify has been awakened following a massive restoration work done by its administration. The goal was to make Bordeaux an attractive town to tourists again and give it back its well-deserved glory. The makeover included the restoration of monuments, modern tram lines, a building of a long beautiful promenade, an extensive cleaning of all the facades, and more.
That plan was a great success with Bordeaux becoming one of the most interesting and popular destinations in Europe in the last decade. Bordeaux has historical monuments second only to Paris , so to visit them all will probably take weeks. Also, despite it being the world capital of wine, I did not include wine-related activities in this article.
I believe you need more than two days from that. If however, you do want to include a wine-related experience on your visit here, check out my articles about the Bordeaux wine region and wineries in Saint Emilion.
Although this guide proposes a specific route to follow, feel free to take whatever you want from the list, and adapt it to your style of travel. One last thing before we dive in. The impressive square is recognized by the 18th-century arc and the marble obelisk at its center. Its proximity to the busiest street in the city, the University campus, and the numerous cafes and bars give it a very young and happy vibe. If you only have one day in Bordeaux , you can skip Place de la Victoire and focus on the most beautiful monuments in the city.
