Bordeaux & Nouvelle Aquitaine: City, Country, River & Savoir Vivre

Pleasure tour through France

Bordeaux is not just about wine, but also about architecture, culture and good food, says Claudia Bette-Wenngatz, who took a look around the UNESCO World Heritage city and its surroundings for us and has been raving about the very special "L'Art de Vivre à la Française" ever since.

It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it happens with a vengeance: at the latest when I look out over the old town, the vineyards and the Garonne after my first stroll through the city from the roof terrace of the La Cité du Vin wine museum with a glass of Merlot in my hand, I know that I have just fallen madly in love with Bordeaux! And as is the case with love, it happens on an irrational level. That's why it wasn't the undoubtedly impressive history of this city with its multinational past and UNESCO World Heritage Site that touched my heart.

It was the emotional moments that I was able to experience here that triggered the coup de foudre: the delicious seafood on the terrace of the Grand Hotel with a view of the opera. The glass of wine and the cheerful chat with students on the romantic old town square with the stately name Place du Palais. The aromas of chocolate and herbal sauces in the delicatessen on Place St. Pierre. The reverent silence in the church of the same name. Sitting on a bench in the sun on the banks of the Garonne. Enjoying the paintings by artist Rodolphe Martinez in the small art gallery in St. Pierre. And, of course, the feeling of happiness from the gourmet menu with trout fillet, fermented kiwi, asparagus with citrus fruits and hake with radicchio in the unconventional ambience of the Ressources restaurant. I will remember all this and much more from this "world capital of wine", which has so much more to offer than just grape juice.

World capital of wine

My arrival at the Hotel Mondrian Bordeaux puts me in the mood for a place that is as atmospheric and romantic as it is lively and refreshing: The boutique hotel in a neo-Gothic palace, which only opened in 2024, is located in Chartrons, a district where wealthy wine merchants used to live and which is now hyped as particularly chic among well-heeled young people. The ambience of the city oasis, created by star architect Philippe Starck, is just as cosmopolitan as the guests and combines history with elegance and modern design.



I move from the atmospheric courtyard to the Morimoto Bordeaux restaurant, the Japanese celebrity chef's first European restaurant, for dinner and enjoy flambéed sushi and Morimoto's version of surf and turf with wagyu beef and lobster, both dishes that can easily compete with the creativity of his former chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The next morning, I take the streetcar - yes, this is a very common and pleasant means of transportation in Bordeaux! - I can see the iconic Cité du Vin building from afar. The most spectacular wine museum in the world, whose architecture is supposed to resemble a floating wine glass, was opened in 2016. Today, it has become a landmark of the city and tells everything about the history of Bordeaux wines as well as the history of wine worldwide. The best wine-growing regions are also presented in a very entertaining multimedia format. Quite remarkable: I wander through around 8,000 years of history at around 18 stations. The subsequent "Via Sensoria" tasting trail takes me on a sensory journey where, accompanied by a sommelier, four wines are presented according to the four seasons. There are also installations, pictures, smells and materials to touch. An experience that is only surpassed by the 4-course menu in Le 7, the panoramic restaurant on the 7th floor with a view over the city.



For the wine tasting at the Belvedere, I stand on the roof terrace one floor higher and look out over a city that amazes me more and more every hour. In the evening, I meet Sylvie Cazes, president and co-initiator of the Cité du Vin, in her restaurant Chapin du Fin, which is celebrating its 200th birthday this year and is a kind of cultural monument to the city with its Art Deco style. "With the Cité du Vin, we wanted to create a place that celebrates the universal dimension of wine," explains Sylvie, who is also President of the Union des Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Émilion. She also owns the renowned Château Chauvin winery on site and organizes exclusive wine tours with her company Bordeaux Saveurs. Her son Francois runs the restaurant Le Chapon Fin, while chef Younesse Bouakkaoui from the Medoc, who went to school with Thierry Marx, has created the ambitious "Histoire" menu for the anniversary and is serving up a firework display of flavors. "I'm too impatient to cook well myself, that's why I have a restaurant," says the successful entrepreneur with a laugh.

Grand Cru meets Goya

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion stands out not only for its first-class wine, but also for its spectacular wine cellar designed by Philippe Starck, which is the only winery in the city of Bordeaux just a few streetcar stops from the city center and is easy to reach. Vines with great potential grow here on 4.5 hectares - right next to the first-class terroir of Haut-Brion. A walk through the romantic park with its old castle, a visit to the designer cellar - the barrels are painted by famous artists - and then I even have time for a stroll through the old town. Amidst the history, I am particularly impressed by the liveliness of the city with its many young people - around 90,000 of the 265,000 inhabitants are students. The diversity ranges from charming junk stores to stylish designer stores, from simple wine bars to Michelin-starred restaurants and from renowned and first-class art museums to many small art galleries.

In the Musée des Beaux-Arts you will find paintings by Francisco Goya, who died in Bordeaux in 1828 and whose painting "The Milkmaid of Bordeaux" is world-famous. In the Art'Gentiers art gallery in the Rue des Argentiers in the historic St. Pierre district, gallery owner Maeva Cence presents contemporary artists in the ambience of a former architect's apartment with an inner courtyard. Together with tour operator Pauline Versace, she has designed the "Art and Wine" tasting workshop, in which the relationship and parallels between wine and art are vividly compared and told along with good wines.

Afterwards, I have an appointment with chef Tanguy Laviale, a star among France's young, wild chefs, who was rewarded with a Michelin star just six months after opening his restaurant Ressources. He scores with regional products, which he uses to compose unconventional dishes with sophisticated spices and side dishes. I spend my last night in Bordeaux at the Hôtel Burdigala, named after the city's ancient name. After two years of renovation, the renowned interior designer Fabien Roque has created a contemporary and originally styled urban oasis, to which the brasserie-restaurant Madame B. under the direction of Gregory Vingadassalon is a perfect match.





From Burdigala, it is not far to the Garonne. The river connects Bordeaux with the Atlantic - which is why smaller ocean-going vessels can also dock in the city. Sitting on the banks of the Garonne with a glass of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon means enjoyment paired with a city ambience that perfectly combines past and present and celebrates savoir vivre in such a way that it touched my senses.

Les Prés d'Eugénie Relais & Chateaux: Where everyday life becomes a day of celebration

When I think of my visit to Les Prés d'Eugénie, I have the scent of poppies and roses in my nose, taste the delicious aromas of herbal sauces or lamb with candied lime and oysters as well as merengue with a hint of grapefruit and airy rhubarb cream on my tongue. I have an almost enchantingly enchanted living ambience in mind, with flowing curtains, fine porcelain, valuable paintings and open fireplaces, and a fairytale park with palm trees, wooden pavilions, garden benches and a country-style thermal spa. And I also feel like I've been beamed back to a hotel that somehow seems to have fallen out of time. The clocks at Les Prés d'Eugénie seem to stand still as soon as you enter the realm of 3-star chef Michel Guérard and his wife Christine.





Exactly 50 years ago, in the tiny thermal spa town of Eugénie-les-Bains, a favorite health resort of the French Empress, the two created an empire that has since achieved world fame and is unparalleled in its elegant sophistication. Michel, who was one of the inventors of nouvelle cuisine, died in August 2024. His long-standing head chef Hugo Souchet is continuing the great gastronomic tradition (3 stars since 1977, a record in France!) and says: "Cuisine Minceur, light cuisine at the highest level, is now in our DNA. Michel Guérard was not only a great chef for me, he was also a role model as a person." Together with Guérard's two daughters, Eleonore and Adeline, he has managed to keep the spirit of Les Prés d'Eugénie alive and at the same time fill it with great lightness and liveliness. Strolling through the eight-hectare park, admiring ancient trees and beautifully landscaped flowerbeds, relaxing by the outdoor pool and in the elegant thermal spa, choosing between 3-star cuisine in the main house, 1-star cuisine in L'Orangerie and delicious regional cuisine in the traditional restaurant "La Ferme aux Grives" - what a feast that turns every day into a feast!

Surrounded by nature, Les Prés d'Eugénie offers indulgence at the highest level and celebrates a carefree joie de vivre that turns your stay into a feast for all the senses.

www.lespresdeugenie.com www.relaischateaux.com

Cognac: Where brandy has become a luxury drink

Everyone knows it, many love it. But very few people know exactly where it originated. Cognac, the small town on the banks of the Charente, had already become rich in the Middle Ages through the salt trade and gained further importance as the birthplace of the Renaissance King François I. However, it only really became famous with the production of brandy in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the amber-colored, now protected beverage began its worldwide triumphal march through renowned spirits houses such as Hennessy, Martell, Otard, Camus and Rémy Martin. And so, at the start of my ViP tour, I follow in the footsteps of Richard Hennessy through the empire he founded in 1765, which today belongs to the LVMH Group.





A short trip in an electric boat on the Charente, then I enter the centuries-old wine cellars, where I am fascinated by the mighty barrels filled with precious eau-de-vie up to 100 years old, as well as the in-house cooperage for barrel production. For two years now, a tour of Hennessy's past can also be admired very impressively using the latest contemporary technology: The "Mobilis" virtual reality event, an immersive experience with 3D glasses created by two French artists who have also worked for director Steven Spielberg, brings the spirit of the house very much to life.





In Cognac, however, it is also worth visiting the town itself - outside the old cellar walls. Silvio, who has been a private city guide for many years, shows me a tranquil little town with a rich history, medieval facades, an old monastery, thick city walls and a neo-classical town hall with an English park as we stroll along the cobblestones. Part of this history can also be admired in an old town palace from the Belle Époque, surrounded by a 4.5-hectare park. It was only recently opened as a hotel. Architect Eric Daigre has staged traditional Art Deco elements in a bourgeois ambience in the Hôtel La Nauve - quel plaisir! This also applies to the creations of the young, very talented chef Anthony Carballo in the hotel's own Notes restaurant.

The best addresses

Bordeaux

Hotels

Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes
5* jewel by Philippe Starck opened in 2024 with 97 rooms and suites, terrace, swimming pool, spa and Japanese restaurant by star chef Masaharu Morimoto. www.mondrianhotels.com





' HÔtel Burdigala by Inwood Hotels '
A 5* retreat reopening in 2024 with a chic interior design, 83 rooms and suites, a brasserie and the Madame B. restaurant with an interesting culinary concept. www.burdigala.com

" InterContinental Bordeaux - Le Grand Hotel "
The city's classic luxury hotel! Built in 1779, in a premium location directly opposite the historic Grand Theatre with 130 rooms and suites, elegantly styled Guerlain spa with roof terrace and bar as well as 2-star restaurant by Gordon Ramsay. Tip: the relatively inexpensive lunch menus. www.ihg.com

" Villas Foch Boutique Hotel & Spa "
5* boutique luxury with 12 rooms and 8 suites very close to highlights such as the CAPC Musée D'Art Contemporain, Quinconces and the Grand Theatre. No restaurant, but
a good breakfast. Elegant 19th century design with modern comfort. www.villasfoch.fr

Art & Culture

The best-known museums are the CAPC (contemporary art in a former warehouse), the Musée D'Aquitaine (local history), the Marine Museum and the Cité du Vin wine museum. There are also many small galleries, mainly in the old town and in Chartrons.

Shopping

Classy stores in the so-called Triangle d'Or in Grandes Hommes between Cours de L'Intendance, Cours Georges Clemenceau and Allées de Tourny. Here you will also find the Passage Sarget with a store and restaurant for French caviar de Neuvic and a traditional hat boutique. Rue NotreDame in Chartrons is a chic shopping street with trendy boutiques, local stores, antique and wine merchants and atmospheric restaurants. Tip: The Chartrons Sunday market at the docks.

Restaurants & bars

Bordeaux is a gourmet city. There are four restaurants with two Michelin stars and nine with one star. My recommendations: Tanguy Laviale's Ressources, Madame B. in the Hôtel Burdigala or the 200-year-old, beautifully styled Art Deco restaurant Le Chapon Fin in the Triangle d'Or.
www.restaurantressources.com www.burdigala.com www.chapon-fin.com

Exploring the city

The best way is by streetcar. There is a City Pass with numerous included offers. There are also hop-on hop-off buses that stop at various stations. A full tour takes just over an hour. You can get to know the old town on board an electric tourist train. There are also tuk-tuks and river cruises on the Garonne. More information at www.bordeaux-tourisme.com

Destinations in the surrounding area

Eugénie-Les-Bains
The small spa town of Eugénie-les-Bains is located 155 km and just under two hours' drive southwest of Bordeaux in Nouvelle Aquitaine in the department of Les Landes and can also be reached by train.

Les Prés D'Eugénie
Elegant property in an 8-hectare park with 45 rooms including 20 suites, top gastronomy, cooking school and a spa with 20 treatment rooms.
www.lespresdeugenie.com

Cognac
Cognac is located around 110 km north of Bordeaux in the Charente department and can be reached by car in around 1.5 hours or by train in just over 2.5 hours. City tours with guide Silvio Pianezzola can be booked via www.destination-cognac.com.

Hôtel La Nauve
The charming, luxurious 12-room boutique hotel, a member of Relais & Chateaux, with the award-winning gourmet restaurant
restaurant Notes was only opened in 2023 and is located in a large park on the Charente.
www.relaischateaux.com

Hôtel Chais Monnet, Hotel & Spa
5-star luxury with a modern design by architect Pidier Poignant, who has combined an old distillery and a new building with a contemporary design and created a hotel with 92 rooms and suites on two hectares in the heart of the city. The restaurant Les Foudres has
1 Michelin star. There is also a spa, a brasserie and a large rooftop lounge with the best views over Cognac. www.chaismonnethotel.com

General information

www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.com