Bordeaux & French Basque Country - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 544

Sights & Activities

CATHÉDRALE ST-ANDRÉ
Offline map Google map

Cathedral

Lording over the city, and a Unesco World Heritage Site prior to the city's classifica-
tion, the cathedral's oldest section dates from 1096; most of what you see today
was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Even more imposing than the cathedral it-
self is the gargoyled, 50m-high Gothic belfry, Tour Pey-Berland (adult/child €5/
free; 10am-1.15pm & 2-6pm) . Scaling the tower's 232 narrow steps rewards you
with a spectacular panorama of the city.

MUSEUMS
(permanent collections/temporary exhibits free/€5 unless stated otherwise below;
11am-6pm Tue-Sun) Bordeaux has a healthy collection of museums and galler-
ies. Gallo-Roman statues and relics dating back 25,000 years are among the high-
lights at the impressive Musée d'Aquitaine Offline map Google map (20 cours
Pasteur; temporary exhibitions €3) .
Built in 1824 as a warehouse for French colonial produce like coffee, cocoa, pea-
nuts and vanilla, the cavernous Entrepôts Lainé creates a dramatic backdrop for
cutting-edge modern art at the CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain Offline map
Google map (Entrepôt 7, rue Ferrére) .
The evolution of Occidental art from the Renaissance to the mid-20th century is
on view at Bordeaux' Musée des Beaux-Arts Offline map Google map (20 cours
d'Albret; Wed-Sun) . Occupying two wings of the 1770s-built Hôtel de Ville, either
side of the Jardin de la Mairie Offline map Google map (an elegant public park),
the museum was established in 1801; highlights include 17th-century Flemish,
Dutch and Italian paintings.

Museums

PARKS
Landscaping is artistic as well as informative at the Jardin Public Offline map
Google map (cours de Verdun) . Established in 1755 and laid out in the English
style a century later, the grounds incorporate the meticulously catalogued Jardin
Botanique founded in 1629 and at this site since 1855.

Parks