Small Electric Train Sightseeing Tour of Bordeaux

The Grand Théâtre and the Allées de Tourny

The train starts on the Allées de Tourny, a broad 18th-century promenade at the edge of the elegant district locals call the Golden Triangle. Within moments you reach the Grand Théâtre, inaugurated in 1780 and one of the finest neoclassical buildings in France. Its facade carries a portico of twelve Corinthian columns topped by statues of the muses and goddesses, and it still hosts opera and ballet today.

From the train you also see the long Cours de l'Intendance, lined with pale limestone buildings and wrought-iron balconies. This honey-coloured stone gives Bordeaux its warm glow and was cleaned during a major restoration of the city in the early 2000s. If the Grand Théâtre opening hours suit your day, you can come back after the ride for a guided visit of its gilded auditorium.

Place de la Bourse and the Water Mirror

The most photographed view in Bordeaux is the royal square of Place de la Bourse, built between 1730 and 1775 and opening directly onto the river rather than closing in on itself. Its two grand pavilions frame the Fountain of the Three Graces at the centre. Across the road lies the Water Mirror, created in 2006: a vast granite slab covered by a thin film of water that reflects the facades like glass.

Every few minutes the Water Mirror releases a cool mist, and children love running through it on warm days. The commentary on board explains how the square became the symbol of the city. Many visitors ask what to do in Bordeaux on a short stay; walking back here at sunset, when the stone turns golden and the reflection is at its best, is near the top of every list. The pool is usually drained in the colder months.

The Garonne quays and the Stone Bridge

Bordeaux grew along a wide crescent-shaped bend of the Garonne, which earned it the name Port of the Moon and gave its name to the UNESCO listing of 2007. The quays that once served merchant ships were turned into a long riverside promenade with lawns, play areas and cycle paths, and the train follows part of this waterfront with open views across the river.

Upstream you see the Stone Bridge, completed in 1822 as the first bridge across the Garonne in the city, with seventeen brick and stone arches that are lit up at night. The river is tidal here and changes colour and level through the day. If you want to see the Garonne from the water too, a river cruise or the river shuttle boats are an easy follow-up to the train ride.

The old town: Porte Cailhau and the Grosse Cloche

The train then slips into the old quarter, the medieval core of Bordeaux, where narrow streets open onto small squares and cafe terraces. Here you pass Porte Cailhau, a fairy-tale city gate built at the end of the 15th century with pointed turrets and a tall roof, which once guarded the entrance from the river port.

Deeper in the old town stands the Grosse Cloche, the belfry of the former town hall, one of the oldest belfries in France, with a great bell that is rung on special days. Commentary on board brings in Roman Burdigala, the long English period in the Middle Ages and the trading boom of the 18th century. Is the Bordeaux little train worth it? For a first orientation, families and anyone short on time, it gives a clear picture of the city's layers in a single ride.

Bordeaux Cathedral and the return ride

Depending on traffic, the route continues towards the great Gothic cathedral of Bordeaux, built mainly between the 12th and 16th centuries, with its slender twin spires on the north side. Its bell tower stands apart from the church on the square, a design chosen to protect the building from the vibration of the bells and the soft ground below.

From the cathedral area the train heads back through the city centre to the Allées de Tourny. The schedule and exact route can change without notice depending on traffic and weather, but the main sights of the historic centre are always part of the loop. After the ride, the shops, cafes and squares around the departure point make it easy to continue exploring on foot at your own pace.