In addition to wine points also architecture and culture

Without a clear vision, no one would open a luxury lifestyle hotel in this location. The Chartrons district has not yet been fully embraced by the ambitious Bordeaux 2030 urban development project, and instead of a view, there is a street intersection on the inconspicuous, but at least plane tree-lined, Cours du Médoc on the doorstep. “The appeal was to revitalize the almost forgotten area around the iconic building,” says Philippe Starck. The world-famous designer designed the Hotel Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes, which opened in spring, on behalf of local real estate developer Patrice Pichet.

The building with its crenellated facade from 1871 served for a century as a wine cellar and wine trading house for the renowned Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, one of the few wineries in the city. A fire in the 1960s destroyed the basement and the property fell into a deep sleep. Something exciting has now been created that successfully contrasts the neo-Gothic original substance with modern architecture and spreads the nobility of value with lots of brick, lots of wood and natural materials.

The ground floor is the domain of Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto, whose “fusion cuisine” made from regional resources ensures happy guests. There is also a small spa with an indoor pool on the ground floor. The “Mondrian Les Carmes” is a contemporary, magical urban oasis that has the power to catapult the still somewhat neglected district into the 21st century.

I have arrived in the 21st century

It took more intensive discussions with the monument preservation department before the building commission approved the hotel and thus the realignment of the Chartrons district. But it fits perfectly with the city’s comprehensive transformation and modernization plan, which will make Bordeaux more attractive, more livable and more economically and ecologically sustainable. Much, very much has already been implemented. Practically the entire historic center, which extends over around 1,800 hectares and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, has undergone a rejuvenation treatment of monumental proportions. This also includes the port area of ​​Port de la Lune, whose name is derived from the moon-shaped curvature of the Garonne River.

Although it is still 45 kilometers from the Atlantic, water and shipping are omnipresent here: the waterfront promenades, fishing boats and yachts give Bordeaux a wonderful backdrop. The well-preserved squares, streets and buildings from different eras, especially the 18th and 19th centuries, radiate cheerfulness and elegance. The Grand Théâtre is one of the country’s outstanding opera houses, and the wine metropolis’s reputation as “La Belle endormie”, the sleeping beauty, has finally been shed. You should check this out!

There is no way around the Place de la Bourse on the river bank. The Miroir d’Eau is fascinating here, with its two centimeter high water level reflecting the magnificent house facades on a huge granite slab surface. Every 20 minutes, 900 nozzles release a head-high spray mist. Young and old wade through this “most beautiful puddle in the world” with unceasing enthusiasm – preferably barefoot. You can see the constant spectacle from the “Gabriel” restaurant terrace, just opposite the water level.

A few steps further, on the Place de la Comédie, the brasserie Le Quatrième Mur offers an impressive gastronomic display. The Brasserie Bordelaise is simple and good in the maze of alleys in the car-free city center. And if you want to delve deeper into the local wines, there is no better place to do so than in the Bar à Vin in the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux (the regional wine council) behind the opera – here, 30 different top wines are always served by the glass, accompanied by cheese, Dried meat or chocolate.

Much of Bordeaux’s atmosphere is reminiscent of Paris, but the capital of the Gironde department, with 260,000 inhabitants, is around nine times smaller than the French capitals. And the attitude towards life is much more relaxed. Unlike on the Seine, the people of Bordeaux usually wear an obliging “Mais oui!” on the lips.

In the shopping streets around the pedestrian street Rue Sainte-Catherine, in addition to the usual fashion boutiques, there are many gourmet shops such as Fromagerie Deruelle and the wine shop L’Intendant. The latter is worth a detour just because of the twelve-meter-high spiral staircase along which thousands of Château bottles from all Bordeaux appellations are stored. A landmark magnet in the city also focuses on vinophile experiences: The boldly designed Cité du Vin in the previously infamous port district of Bacalan introduces visitors to various aspects of wine on eight floors – as a plant, food, cultural asset, commodity and cult object. The wine temple and adventure park, which opened eight years ago, eschews local patriotic self-portrayals and is anything but an “emergency solution” for rainy days.

In the meantime, things have calmed down among the long-established traditionalists, who for a long time only shook their heads in disbelief about the building. Today, the Cité du Vin is celebrated more as the Guggenheim of Bordeaux and is unanimously viewed as a symbol of forward-looking development, which attracts several hundred thousand tourists every year and also attracts a lot of visitors to the neighboring market hall, Les Halles de Bacalan.

Received Woke Award

Since 2022, Bordeaux has been able to call itself the “capital of smart tourism” – an award that the European Union has already given to Helsinki, Gothenburg, Seville and Dublin. Cities that are particularly committed to climate protection, are as inclusive as possible, convey cultural heritage in a contemporary manner and promote innovative ideas will be awarded. The best way to understand what smart tourism really is is to meet Philippe Barre, the founder of “Darwin”. The jack-of-all-trades turned a derelict barracks site on the Rive Droite, the little-noticed right bank of the Garonne, into a “hybrid, multidimensional ecosystem” with hundreds of co-working spaces, a skate park, organic restaurants and an urban farm as well as regular concerts and events. “When you come here, you are in a different world where people can live and enjoy inspired lives and do not have to ignore environmentally critical things,” explains Barre.

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Another smart thing about Bordeaux is the opportunity to be in beautiful nature in no time by taking the regional train. You can reach the Bassin d’Arcachon on the Atlantic coast within 50 minutes. Here you can climb the highest shifting dune in Europe. Or within 30 minutes you can reach the medieval village of Saint-Émilion in the heart of the largely intact wine-growing region. The cycle paths are also well developed enough to make it possible to do without a rental car: you can cycle comfortably through the city on two wheels and, with a bit of sporting spirit, even to the sea, for example to the Cap Ferret peninsula.

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