5 romantic ways to experience Bordeaux

Couples visiting Bordeaux for the first time can take a classic tour of the city on foot, by bike or by bus. Or they can explore Nouvelle Aquitaine's capital from a different perspective, on a cruise along the Garonne. Bordeaux offers many original ways of discovering or rediscovering its vast UNESCO World Heritage area, with more than 350 listed buildings spread across just over 1,800 hectares.

The tours offered by the Bordeaux Tourist Office, for both individuals and groups, are very varied, with different themes such as history, gastronomy and wine. Tours last from two hours to a whole day.

If there's a district of Bordeaux in full architectural effervescence, it's the Bassins à Flot, 10 minutes from the old town. Here you'll find two of the most emblematic sites built in the city in recent years. The Cité du Vin offers an immersive and sensory journey into the world of wine with interactive themed areas, available in eight languages. Opening in 2020, Les Bassins de Lumières is the world's largest digital art centre devoted to contemporary creation, housed in a former submarine base in Bordeaux.

To visit Bordeaux without tasting its wines would be unthinkable! One of the activities you can't miss during a stay here is a wine tasting workshop: you'll learn how to taste wine, observe its colour, recognise its aromas, guess its composition and master the art of pairing it with food. Wine tasting courses and workshops, as well as 'oenoludic' lunches, are offered in wine bars or at the Bordeaux Wine School opposite the Tourist Office.

With around 7,000 châteaux, the Bordeaux vineyards are the most prestigious in the world. Bordeaux is an excellent starting point for a half-day or full-day excursion to the main wine regions and flagship appellations such as Saint-Emilion, Médoc, Sauternes, Graves and Pomerol. One of the six wine routes with the Vignobles et Découvertes label allows you to discover the world of Bordeaux wines, taste them and meet passionate winegrowers. These routes can be done on foot or by bike.

And if you want to round things off with something truly unique, choose from a range of quirky accommodation. Sleep in a wine barrel at the Château de Bonhoste, or discover vinotherapy at the Sources de Caudalie.

Harvest is a crucial stage in the work of the vineyard - and some winegrowers are keen to share this unforgettable moment of conviviality with visitors. A great experience to reconnect with nature in one of the world's most romantic wine tourism destinations.