Garonne Guided River Cruise in Bordeaux

The Garonne and the Port de la Lune

Bordeaux grew along a wide crescent-shaped bend of the Garonne, the Port de la Lune, or Port of the Moon, which still appears on the city's coat of arms. In 2007 this historic riverfront, with its long line of 18th-century stone façades, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the largest urban areas in the world to receive the honour.

The Garonne is a powerful tidal river, its brown waters rising and falling with the Atlantic tides about 100 km away, so the view changes through the day. A Bordeaux river cruise is the best way to grasp the scale of this harmonious riverfront, which is too long to take in from the quays. Your guide explains how the port made the city wealthy and how the quays were transformed into promenades in the 2000s.

Place de la Bourse and the Water Mirror

The most famous view in Bordeaux is Place de la Bourse, a grand royal square built between 1730 and 1775 and opening directly onto the river rather than enclosed by buildings. Its two classical palaces, the former stock exchange and the customs house, frame a central fountain, and from the water you appreciate how the whole composition was designed to be seen from arriving ships.

In front of the square lies the Water Mirror, a vast granite slab covered with a thin film of water that reflects the façades and, every few minutes, releases a cool mist. Is Place de la Bourse worth visiting? Absolutely, and seeing it from the Garonne first, then walking onto the Water Mirror after the cruise, is the perfect combination, especially at sunset or after dark.

The Pont de Pierre and the right bank

Upstream, the cruise passes the Pont de Pierre, the first bridge built across the Garonne in Bordeaux, completed in 1822. Its brick and stone arches, each topped with a white medallion, and its row of elegant lamps make it one of the city's symbols, and today it is reserved for trams, cyclists and pedestrians, with a magnificent view back to the old town.

Opposite the historic centre, the right bank of La Bastide was long industrial, and is now a green bank of gardens and promenades, including a botanical garden. From the boat you see how the two banks face each other, and why the best panorama of Bordeaux's classical skyline is from the water or from the right bank at golden hour.

The Chartrons quays and the lift bridge

Downstream, the cruise follows the Chartrons quays, an old merchant district of tall stone houses that is now known for antique shops, cafés and a lively Sunday market along the water. Beyond it rises the modern lift bridge, opened in 2013, whose central span is raised vertically between four tall pylons to let large ships pass into the heart of the city.

Further on, the old docks of the Bassins à flot and the massive concrete former submarine base, which now houses a digital art centre, show how the port has been reinvented. To get to the departure point, take the tram to Place de la Bourse; halal restaurants are easy to find across Bordeaux for a meal before or after your cruise.