Bordeaux Facts

Bordeaux may be made up of "arrondissements" like Paris, but people tend to talk about the city in terms of quarters (quartiers). Each quarter has a name and encompasses a relatively precise area, often flanked by two main roads or streets. Let's start with the oldest one, which is often considered the most beautiful of Bordeaux's quarters.

The Saint Pierre quarter Right in the heart of Bordeaux, the Saint Pierre quarter is the historic center of the town. It is made up of beautiful little streets, some of which are still paved. Saint Pierre is Bordeaux's culinary capital, with a large amount of restaurants to suit every taste and pocket-something for gourmets and gourmands. The Place du Parlement...

..., the capital of Aquitaine, is one of the world's most important wine-producing areas. It attracts visitors to the offices of wine exporters, most of whom welcome guests.

It may not exude the joie de vivre of Paris, but Bordeaux is a major cultural center and a transportation hub between southern France and Spain. Bordeaux is a city of warehouses, factories, mansions, suburbs, and wide quays 8km (5 miles) long. Now the fifth-largest city in France, Bordeaux belonged to the British for 300 years and even today is considered the most "un-French" of French cities.

With a population of some 700,000, the historic core of Bordeaux looks better than it has in years, thanks to the restoration of many...