Three days is the perfect length of time to spend in Bordeaux if you want to get a taste of the city. On this visit, I spent Day 1 at the Bordeaux Cité de Vin learning the secrets of great wine.
La Cité de Vin
The ultimate museum for wine lovers! Immerse yourself in wine history, wines of the world, and more in this ultra-modern experience made for learning and fun.
La Cité de Vin
If you ever imagined a Disney World for wine lovers, La Cité de Vin would be it.
From the grand front entrance to the wine bar that is at the top of the towering 8-story building, there are visual and sensual activities throughout.
La Cité de Vin entrance
The Belvedere where you can taste a selection of the world’s best wines
For the ticket price of 20 euros, you can spend hours wandering through the massive exhibition spaces or focus on your area of interest. Twenty themed spaces — some within bottle-shaped stations, others with audiovisual productions — enable you to self discover the influence of wine on world culture, history, geography, arts, and sciences.
For a special occasion, imagine lunch or dinner here. It is accompanied by a 360 view of the nearby area of Bordeaux and the Garonne.
Dinner with a 360-view
Looking for a favorite vintage? The circular”wine cellar” has a collection of 14,000 bottles on display and for sale.
Wines from around the world
Simply follow the map
“Map” of wines for sale at La Cité de Vin
Expensive wines for expensive tastes
Architects from Paris won the design competition for imaging La Cité de Vin and the building was opened to the public on June 1, 2016. The shape of the futuristic museum symbolizes “knotted vine stocks, wine turning in the glass, the swirls and eddies of the Garonne river,” according to officials at the site.
At the top, movable glass panels aid in ventilation. A marvel of ingenuity and sustainability!
Glass panels that move for airflow
If you think it can’t get any better than to visit Le Cité de Vin, it can! There are temporary exhibits such as “Bistro” that are scheduled throughout the year in the art gallery.
“Bistro” Exhibit
Ready for the magnificent city? Day 3 in Bordeaux… Stay tuned …
Bordeaux Travel Guide:
Bordeaux Day 1: The Secrets of Great Wine
Bordeaux Day 3: The Magnificent City
Categories: Around France, Blog, Bordeaux, New Aquitaine
Deborah this is truly one visit no one should miss whether you love and drink wine or not. The building is just an architectural marvel and the history is wonderful to visit first hand. It is a one day excursion for sure as one needs to really relax and spend time enjoying all the wine exhibits and the food and views!!!
I couldn’t begin to take advantage of all the knowledge that was available at Le Cité de Vin. You would love it!
Fantastic photos, Deborah!
Thanks, Paula. You would LOVE La Cité du Vin!
Looks like a fantastic place to visit! I passed through Bordeaux briefly a couple of weeks back but didn’t have time to stop at La Cite du Vin. Next time!
Bordeaux isn’t a place to visit just once. I’m hoping to go back to visit museums and more stuff I missed. There will be a next time, for sure!
Absolutely! I’ve been there several times and keep finding reasons to go back!