Bordeaux Things to Do

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At the foot of the Monument to the Girondins are two beautiful fountains. Next to the column there are a couple of statues that honor two of the greatest names of Bordeaux. One is dedicated to the philosopher and former Mayor of Bordeaux Michel de Montaigne. The other one is dedicated to Charles Louis de Montesquieu, one of the architects of the "century of the lights". He was not only an intellectual, but also a winegrower.

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After the Revolution, during which the instrument was destroyed in 1629, was installed in the Primatiale Saint-André, in 1804, the organ of La Micot Réole.
But ten years later, to the weakness of the instrument, we exchanged the interior with that of the organ of the Abbey Church Sainte-Croix de Bordeaux, built in 1748 by Dom Bedos de Celles. Even before the disappointing result, it was enlarged in 1875 by an organ builder George Wenner Bordeaux who gave a grand narrative expressive, while its transmissions of notes, they were electrified in 1954 by Joseph Beuchet organ. Dismantled in 1973 to reconstruct the Holy Cross Church Organ Dom Bedos, this composite organ was replaced in the same-buffet, returned to his disposal before 1875 - by a neo-classical instrument developed by the factor Georges Danion organ comprising 76 games spread over 4 real manual keyboards of 61 notes and a pedal 32 notes.

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Also known as Place Royale, this is a perfect example of Bordeaux architecture at the end of the 18th century. This is a beautiful line of archways and slate roofs, with an impressive fountain in the centre - a setting made even more magnificent when it is lit up at night. There is a superb view of the Garonne river's right bank from this square.

Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, is a Theatre in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April 1780. It was in this theatre that the ballet La Fille Mal Gardée premiered in 1789, and where a young Marius Petipa staged some of his first ballets.

The Theatre was designed by the architect Victor Louis (1731-1800), who was selected for the task by winning the famous Grand Prix de Rome. Louis was also famous for designing the Palais Royal, and the Théâtre Français in Paris.

The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux was conceived as a temple of the Arts and Light, with a neo-classical facade endowed with a portico of 12 Corinthian style colossal columns which support an entablature on which stand 12 statues that represent the nine muses and three goddesses (Juno, Venus, and Minerva).

In 1871 the theatre was briefly the National Assembly for the French Parliament.

The inside of the theatre was restored in 1991, and once again has its original colours of blue and gold. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is the oldest wooden frame opera house in Europe not to have burnt or required rebuilding.

Today the theatre is home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux, as well as the Ballet National de Bordeaux.

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The Place du Parlement is a large square for walking and relaxing. In season the half-dozen restaurants have outdoor tables for dining. They range from simple and inexpensive to the finest seafood restaurant in town (See our Cez Philippe Restaurant Tip). At the center of the square is a fine fountain. Enclosing the nicely paved square are fine buildings in Louis XV style (mid 18C). Some have arcades at the ground floor and decorations on the upper rims of the main floor windows, called mascarones, fancifully decorated heads which grin down at the observer.

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The Musee des Beaux Arts is located in a cramped wing of the Hotel de Ville which was rebuilt in the 19C museum style after a destructive fire in that century. (We did not take a picture of the exterior). There are some Old Masters distributed after the Revolution and plus a fine collection of Dutch Masters (from LaCaze, a local collector) plus a large fine group of 19C French works collected thereafter. Modern works continue to pile up. There aree Madonna and Clid with Sts. by Perugino and a Holy Family by Veronese and many others.

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The museum collection keeps growing but the museum does not and the modern works are crowded in with too many fine works per wall, like some 19C Parisian Salon competition. Probably the best work in the Museum is Delacroix' "Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi" (1826). There are several Corot's and even early works by native son Redon. They are very crowded as the pictures show but the collection is quite varied and contains works of recent great artists.

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The Hotel de Ville, like most older fine buildings in Bordeaux, was built in the 18C as a palace for the Archbishop (Prince Rohan) which is why it is next to the Cathedral. The preferred view is from the garden behind it which we did not take. On the next street North is the Musee des Arts Decoratifs (we did not visit it). Off the garden, also North, is the Musee des Beaux Arts (See Our Tips). To tour the magnificantly decorated interior of the Hotel de Ville you must be available on Friday afternoon (we were not there then).