Discover Bordeaux, the Sleeping Beauty, on this private tour. Inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2007, it is one of the most fascinating French towns classified a “City of Art and History” and home to one of Europe’s largest collection of 18th Century architecture.
Discover an impressive architectural ensemble that includes the neoclassical Grand Theater, the Golden Triangle district and the Rohan Palace that is today's Bordeaux Town Hall. On this walking tour of Bordeaux, admire ‘Place de la Bourse’ architecture, sculptured décor and water mirror that bring out a sense of unity that celebrates the tight union between the city and the Garonne River.
Your accredited/licensed tour guide can be flexible on the itinerary but will definitely include the most famous landmarks
Pick up at your Cruise Ship in Bordeaux
Today, we will come and pick you up directly at your Cruise ship in Bordeaux. Meet your English-speaking tour guide who will go over the itinerary and program of this private walking tour of Bordeaux with you. Then begin to make your way towards the historical city center of Bordeaux.
The Golden Triangle
Under the name of Golden Triangle lies a district of Bordeaux that englobes Cours Georges-Clemenceau, Cours de l'Intendance and the Allées de Tourny. These three very large streets form a Triangle of which each tip ends with a square: Gambetta, Comedie and Tourny. Historically, this is where all the most luxurious shops and financial institutions were located. In the 18th century, the wealthiest persons of Bordeaux started building Private Mansions, vaste and luxurious city houses, built for a single family and its servants.
Place de la Comédie
This impressive square is located between the Grand Theater of Bordeaux and the houses that face it to the west. The impressive portico composed of 12 Corinthian columns of the Grand Theater, designed by architect Victor Louis, dominate the whole composition of the square. The Theatre was inaugurated in 1780 and originally the ground sloped up so that carriages could drive inside the colonnade. In 1899 the building is classified as a Historical Monument. Today, the Theater is home to the National Opera of Bordeaux.
The Grand Theatre
The inauguration of the Grand Theatre of Bordeaux took place on April 7, 1780. It took Victor Louis more than 7 years to achieve the construction commissioned by the Governor of Guyenne, Louis Armand du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu. Built in a Neoclassical style, the Grand Theatre impresses with its main façade composed of a portico of 12 Corinthian columns above which stand 12 statues - nine muses and 3 goddesses of Classical Mythology.
Place de la Bourse
The Royal Square, today Place de la Bourse, is considered to be the most elegant façade located on the quays of Bordeaux. Initially, the architectural program completed the installation of a statue of Louis XV that was inaugurated on the 19th of August 1743. Construction of the square took more than 25 years and the hard work of two 'Intendants' (Civil Officers) and three architects. The architectural style is directly modeled on the works of Mansart for Versailles. Eventually, the statue of Louis XV was taken off its basement in 1792 and replaced by the fountain of the Three Graces.
The Rohan Palace
The Palace was built between 1171 and 1784 by architect Bonfin under the patronage of Ferdinand Maximilien Mériadec de Rohan. The Rohan Palace, after being the siege of the Archbishop of the revolutionary court and an imperial Palace, is today the Town Hall of Bordeaux since 1835. Inside, behind its Louis XVI style facade, is one of the most beautiful staircases of France a masterpiece of stereotomy. The Rohan Palace faces the Saint Andrew Cathedral and Pey Berland tower.
If you are interested in other visits of Bordeaux, don't hesitate to browse our other walking tours that begin with Place des Quinconces and include a visit of the quartier des Chartrons district linked to the wine growing history of Bordeaux and that we mention on our wine tours.
