The most important thing is to have good shoes and a ready stomach. Therefore direction to the bakery "Maison Lamour" located in Judaïque street opens at 7:30 am, which is also the best time to open the door of this bakery, because all the viennoiseries and breads come out of the oven. It has been elected best bakery in France, some say it is the best in Bordeaux, at least the most famous.
We recommend their chocolate roll.
Then, come and drop your luggage at the Hôtel Madame. Check-in is at 4pm, don't worry, we have a luggage room and our reception will be happy to give you a map of Bordeaux.
The late morning will be spent in the Bassins à flot area. This area is one of the most emerging in Bordeaux, you will find among others two museums: the Cité du Vin and the Bassin des Lumières.
The Cité du Vin is at the heart of an evocative building. A unique cultural site that gives a different view of wine, telling the story of its culture through an immersive and sensory presentation. The visit ends at the belvedere, where you can taste a wine chosen from a selection of world wines. A panoramic restaurant, a cellar, a shop, an immersive tasting course, tasting workshops and conferences complete the experience.
The Basin of Lights is a four-basin facility in this imposing relic of the Second World War, where custom-designed digital exhibitions are set against the iconic architecture of the Submarine Base. Eight times larger than the Atelier des Lumières in Paris, the Bassins des Lumières offer a monumental immersive experience to lovers of classical and contemporary art through annual and temporary digital exhibitions.
After this moment of culture, we attach importance to your lunch.
We will take you to the Halles de Bacalan, a gourmet market that brings together some twenty craftsmen and producers from the South-West. With short circuits, delicatessen, tastings and food on the go, the Halles is a real showcase of regional know-how and will appeal to epicureans and bon vivants. The offer is completed by a brasserie which proposes typical dishes of the region and animations throughout the year.
If you are looking for a more intimate place, you can go to the Chartrons district (tramway B), and go to the fish restaurant "La Pointe", https://www.lapointe-bordeaux.fr/.
Now you're in the right place to stroll and bargain. A stone's throw away, you will find the Rue Notre Dame. Originally populated by workers in the wine industry, this pedestrian street has gradually seen the arrival of antique dealers, art galleries and small, friendly shops. Around the market hall, not far from the beautiful neo-gothic church of Saint-Louis, the terraces of cafés are open all year round. A former district for foreign traders, it sometimes feels like a place other than Bordeaux.
It will be time for you to collect your key from the Hôtel Madame. Your luggage will be installed in your room, you will be able to take advantage of our 100% French mattresses and our Eco-label care products before leaving for a busy evening.
As the sun begins to set, it's the perfect romantic moment to head for the Place de Bourse, known for its water mirror. A key element in the redevelopment of the quays in 2006, the largest water mirror in the world (3,450 m2 and an underground reservoir of 800 m3) has become the emblem and favourite place to stroll in Bordeaux.
Then we take you to a wine bar, ideally located between the Place des Quinconces, where you can admire the statue of the Girondins and the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, https://baravin.bordeaux.com/
In order to see Bordeaux from another angle, we invite you to the Port de Lune to board a boat. The reflections of the Garonne on the buildings of Bordeaux will give you breathtaking photos.
On your return, head for the St Pierre quarter and its famous cobbled streets.
The Place du Parlement, created in 1754 by decision of the Intendant Tourny, was intended to receive the royal market. Its name evokes the Parliament of Bordeaux, founded in 1462 and awarded in 1790. Nowadays, restaurant terraces and ice-cream parlours share this elegant square where a fountain by Garros (1865) stands.
Your legs deserve a good night's sleep, we wish you sweet dreams.
If you wish to extend your visit to Bordeaux into the night, the reception of the Hotel Madame is open 24 hours a day.
After a good night and a good breakfast, Bordeaux is also known for its shops. The oldest and longest street (1.2 km), rue Sainte-Catherine, entirely pedestrian, is a must for any Bordeaux inhabitant who strolls along it, carried by the uninterrupted flow. Bordered by department stores to the north, gathering students to the south, it leads from the ancient forum to the Porte d'Aquitaine and crosses almost the entire city.
It's already time to check out. As we said, one night is not enough ;).
Before your return, we advise you to treat yourself to some cannelés, an unavoidable speciality, two shops are located opposite the Hôtel Madame.
It was a pleasure to show you Bordeaux and there is still plenty to come back for.
Welcome back.
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