A taste of Bordeaux

Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine-growing regions in the world, whose name is synonymous with full-bodied, high-quality red wine. But famous wine is just one of the many things Bordeaux has going for it. The region surrounding this French city on the Atlantic coast has everything from fantastic museums and beautiful architecture to miles of sandy beaches and first class cuisine. Not to mention about a dozen excellent golf courses to sample. Bon appétit!

Wine, wine, wine. Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine districts in the world. They’ve been making wine here since the eighteenth century and the area is a must on any wine-lover’s itinerary. Today approximately 500 million litres of high-quality red and 100 million litres of high-quality white wine are produced every year, more than anywhere else in the world and a quarter of France’s total wine production. One excellent way of finding out more about Bordeaux’s wine tradition is to visit one of the area’s over 6,000 vineyards. This part of the world is home to some of the best known, legendary wine châteaux such as Château d’Yquem, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Latour. The local tourist information centre runs a range of tours every week, or simply explore on your own. All you need is a car, a map and taste buds open to new experiences. A number of wine merchants and caves in the city also offer wine tastings, or why not take a quick course at the wine school L’École de Bordeaux.
 

Bordeaux is the fifth largest city in France and the provincial capital of the south-western region of Aquitaine. It has about a million inhabitants, over 230,000 in the heart of the city itself. The La Garonne river wends its way through the city, merging with the Dordogne just north of Bordeaux to form the Gironde estuary whose wide delta stretches out to the Atlantic. Vines have been a feature of this landscape since the Classical era.

Bordeaux is known as one of the most beautiful cities in France, and boasts some of the best preserved eighteenth-century buildings in the world, many of which are on Unesco’s World Heritage List. The cars have been moved underground, making way for elegant boulevards, spacious squares and airy parks ideal for a stroll or just watching the world go by. The restored quaysides are now delightful pedestrian areas lined with cafés, while new, modern trams make it easy to get from one end of town to the other. A light, youthful and lively city, Bordeaux has an irresistible charm. Its city’s population is diverse and extremely friendly – it must be the typical “Bordeaux character”.

Cuisine that’s out of this world

Att strosa runt i Bordeaux är det bästa sättet att upptäcka staden. Alla kvarter har sin egen stil; det kosmopolitiska Saint-Michel med den gotiska basilikan; Saint-Pierre eller det ”gamla Bordeaux” med sina smågator fulla av hantverksbutiker och konstnärsverkstäder; Chartrons, antikhandlarnas kvarter, som är trevligt att flanera i även för den som inte hade tänkt komma hem med en antik järnsmidesstol eller en tavla med gråtande barn.
Annars erbjuder Bordeaux riktigt bra shoppingmöjligheter. Här finns alla de fina, franska märkena som Cartier, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Christian Lacroix, Longchamp… Som tur är finns också de billigare klädkedjorna representerade och mängder av små, lokala boutiquer. Ett bra ställe att utgå från är Place de la Comédie där rue Sainte Catherine, som lär vara Europas längsta gågata, har sin början.
Shopping har som bekant en förmåga att väcka aptiten till liv och snart kan det vara dags att fylla på reserverna. Om Bordeaux är världsberömt för sina kvalitetsviner så är den minst lika känd för sin matkultur. Specialiteter som tryffel, gåslever, ankbröst serveras på tallrikarna precis som lamm, Bayonneskinka och ostron. I kvarteret Grands Hommes, vardagligen kallat “Guldtriangeln”, ligger suberba restauranger intill de anrika vinfirmorna. Ett rikt utbud av restauranger i alla prislägen hittar man också runt kyrkan Saint Pierre i gamla stan. Eller så gör man ett besök i saluhallen Place des Grands Hommes och köper med sig lite franska delikatesser för en liten pique-nique.

Top quality golf courses

Anyone visiting Bordeaux will soon find that there’s more than just wine to turn your head. Sooner or later you’ll want to try out the golf. Besides centuries of wine-making expertise and its excellent soil, one of the reasons why Bordeaux has become one of the world’s foremost wine districts is its even, temperate ocean climate. This also makes it the perfect place to build top quality golf courses.

This region is one of the best golfing areas in France, offering many beautiful courses of an international standard. The mild climate means you can play golf in ideal conditions almost all year round, from March to November.

There are about a dozen golf courses in the Bordeaux region. Many of them offer green fees with a golf pass, a great way of trying out several courses at a reasonable price. Just outside the centre of Bordeaux you’ll find the Pessac, Bordeaux Lac and Bordeaux Cameyrac courses, all of which can be tried out with “Golf Pass Bordeaux” costing €99.

“Golf Pass Médoc”, at the same price, gives you entry to the Margaux, Médoc and Lacanau courses in the Médoc area north-west of Bordeaux. The Médoc nestles between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic and besides these excellent golf courses is also internationally recognised for its great wines, miles of empty beaches and wonderful scenery. This close to the sea, the wind is a force to be reckoned with.

Between pine forests and vineyards

Written by: Jenny Olsson

Golfcourses

MÉDOC
Golf de Lacanau
Between the sea and the lake, Golf de Lacanau winds its way through scented pine forests. The varied, technical course layout has given Golf de Lacanau a well-earned excellent international reputation.
Golf de Lacanau

Golf de Margaux
Set in the heart of the classic vineyards surrounding Château Margaux this golf course melts perfectly into its surroundings. Golf de Margaux is quite a technical course following the Gironde estuary where twelve of the holes feature water hazards. Varying winds from the river add to the challenge.
Golf de Margaux

Golf du Médoc
With its renowned wine château and two excellent 18-hole courses, Golf du Médoc is one of the best known golf centres in south-west France. The Châteaux course in the tradition of links golf, has been classed as one of the twenty best in Europe. A number of professional tournaments have been played here, including the French Open. The less challenging Les Vignes course is also of high quality, winding through a moorland landscape with pine woods.
Golf du Médoc

Golf de la Méjanne
An attractive, undulating 9-hole course where the many trees, water hazards and bunkers all do their bit to challenge even the really skilled player.
Golf de la Méjanne  

Golf de Bordeaux-Lac
Golf de Bordeaux-Lac offers two championship courses each completely different in character. La Jalle is a flat, forested course with greens well guarded by bunkers, while Les Etangs is gently hilly, with plenty of water hazards where a good aim is absolutely essential.
Golf de Bordeaux-Lac

Golf de Pessac 
Just outside the centre of Bordeaux and close to the prestigious Pessac-Léognan wine châteaux lies Golf de Pessac. This 18-hole course is relatively flat with wide fairways edged with pine trees. But don’t be fooled. Large bunkers watch over most of the greens and there are also a number of water hazards to watch out for.
Golf de Pessac

BASSIN D´ARCHACHON
Golf du Gujan-Mestras
Designed by renowned course architect Alain Prat, Gujan-Mestras is clearly reminiscent of a Florida course with plenty of water and large bunkers with white sand. And then there are the many trees that pose the greatest challenge. A pleasant, fun course for players of all levels.
Golf du Gujan-Mestras

Golf des Aiguilles Vertes
A short, flat 9-hole course not far from the sea. Perfect for the beginner. The length of the course you’ll be surrounded by the scent of pines and the salt sea air, sure to whet your appetite. Fortunately the oyster sellers’ huts aren’t far away.
Golf des Aiguilles Vertes

Golf de Biscarrosse
Anyone looking for a genuinely natural course will find Golf de Biscarrosse a dream come true. In the heart of the forest in the Landes Natural Park, this course is built on sand dunes, resulting in narrow, undulating fairways making it hard to play the first round with a handicap.
Golf de Biscarrosse

ENTRE-DEAUX-MERS, SANT-EMILLON RIVIÈRE DE LA DORDOGNE

Golf de Bordeaux-Cameyrac
A 27-hole facility where the full length course is a relatively flat, narrow course which demands well-placed shots for a good score. If you’d rather not look at the results on your score card, turn your gaze towards the surroundings instead – vines and hundred-year old trees might be a more pleasant sight
Golf de Bordeaux-Cameyrac

Golf de Teynac
Golf de Teynacis not particularly long but hilly and with wide fairways. The land once belonged to a vineyard and the wine cellar has of course been transformed into a club house, the ideal place to relax after a round of golf.
Golf de Teynac

Golf des Vigiers
Just as its name suggests, Golf du Château des Vigiers means golf in a stunning château setting. Here course designer Donald Steel has create three exciting 9-hole loops which wind their through vineyards, oak woods, plum orchards and lakes. Whatever configuration of holes you choose, this is a reasonably challenging park course capable of fulfilling the expectations of the beginner and the experienced golfer.
Golf des Vigiers

Where to stay

HOTEL IN BORDEAUX
There are plenty of cheap, budget hotels in Bordeaux as well as good mid-range hotels. Prices are competitive but quality can vary enormously. If you would prefer to stay close to the first tee, almost all golf clubs offer various package deals including green fees and accommodation a stone’s throw away from the course; everything from luxury hotels and châteaux to simple apartment hotels.

THE REGENT GRAND HOTEL
The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux. One of the city’s few luxury hotels with 150 rooms and 22 luxury suites. The hotel enjoys a very central location opposite the Grand Théâtre.
2-5 Place de la Comedie, tel +33 (0)5 57 30 44 44

Eating out

The region’s cuisine is rich and varied with specialities such as truffles, fois gras, duck breast, Pauillac lamb, Bayonne ham, and oysters from Arcachon. Its proximity to Spain and the Basque country can also be seen in its menus. Bordeaux has several Michelin-starred restaurants but also a large number of brasseries and cafés serving good local food at a good price.

LE CHAPON FIN
has been a Bordeaux institution since 1825 and was one of the first restaurants to earn three Michelin stars. It even hosts cookery courses with chef Nicolas Frion. 5 rue Montesquieu, tel +33 (0)5 56 79 10 10
Le Chapon Fin

LE CAFÉ
serves good local food with an international touch. 3, rue Buffon, tel +33 (0)5 56 79 23 85
Le Café

LE HERALD´S
bar and restaurant offers modern, regional cuisine in its beautiful eighteenth century vaults. Also famous for its wine list. 5, rue du Parlement, tel +33 (0)5 56 81 37 37

BISTRO ROMAIN
is renowned for its fabulous desserts. The menu is Italian and perfectly adequate but the puddings are out of this world.
65, course de l'Intendance tel +33 (0)5 56 44 93 33
Bistro Romain

LE NOAILLES
is a brasserie serving oysters and other specialities of south-west France.12, allées de Tourny, tel +33 (0)5 56 81 94 45

LA TUPINA
 is one of Bordeaux top restaurants, celebrating traditional regional cuisine. The wine cellar is equally impressive.
6, rue Porte de la Monnaie, tel +33 5 569 156 37
La Tupina

WINE MERCHANTS – CAVISTES

BADIE
62 allées de Tourny, tel +33 (0)5 56 52 23 72
Badie

LA MAISON DES MILLÉSIMES
37 rue Esprit des Lois, tel +33 (0)05 56 44 03 92
La Maison des Millésimes

LA VINOTHÈQUE DE BORDEAUX
8 cours du xxx Juillet, tel +33 (0)5 56 52 32 05
La Vinothèque

LÍNTENDANT
2 allées de Tourny, tel +33 (0)5 56 48 00 29
L´intendant

NICOLAS
25 Cours Portal, tel +33 (0)5 56 44 03 03
Nicolas

MILLÉSIMA
87 quai de Paludate, tel +33 (0)5 57 80 88 50
Millésima

MAISON CALVET
81 cours du Médoc, tel +33 (0)5 56 43 59 71
Maison Calvet

Don´t miss

Wine tasting! For wine buffs, the pleasures are virtually endless. One of them is visiting one of the many famous châteaux in the area, e.g. in Saint-Émilion, Médoc or Margaux. Hire a car and explore them on your own or join a tour run by the Bordeaux tourist information centre. If you’re keen to learn more, a visit to the wine museum Vinorama or a class at Bordeaux’s Wine School are highly recommended.

Sights in Bordeaux. There are several excellent museums to visit. The Musée d’Art Contemporain displays modern art, while Musée des Beaux-Arts houses art from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, including works by Rubens, Delacroix and Marquet. The Musée d’Aquitaine presents the history of the region in an easily accessible manner and is well worth a visit. There’s art and architecture to be admired virtually everywhere you look. Don’t miss the victory arch, the Aquitaine bridge and the beautiful Grand Théâtre in the Place de la Comédie, the place to go for opera and dance performances. The fifteenth century clock tower Tour St-Michel offers fantastic city views.

Culture nearby. The region has a rich cultural heritage and is full of interesting destinations from museums and châteaux to medieval fortresses and charming villages. There are beautiful nature reserves, including the largest pine forest in Europe, and the long, white, sandy beaches stretching down the coast to Spain aren’t far away.

Festivals. In the last week of June each year Bordeaux hosts a major festival, a wine festival and a river festival in alternate years, bringing everyone in Bordeaux out onto the streets.

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More information

Golf in Bordeaux
French tourist agency
Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux
Golf en Gironde
Maison du Tourisme de la Gironde
Comité Régional de Tourisme d’Aquitaine