Bordeaux in July: sun, wine and culture

Want to know why you should visit Bordeaux in July? For many, this is the most eagerly awaited month of the year, as the holiday season officially begins. And for those who love the heat, it’s the perfect time to welcome the high temperatures. It is the perfect time to take a trip where nature and the outdoors are the protagonists.

Particularly in this city, outdoor activities are among the most popular, with hundreds of places to visit and enjoy. Therefore, it is a more than ideal destination and a free tour of Bordeaux is all you need to get to know it better and let the adventure begin.

Why should you visit Bordeaux in July?

Here are a few reasons why you should visit Bordeaux in July:

• Lots of outdoor activities: we are talking about a city that you can get to know on foot, so the warm weather can be your best travel companion. You’ll find hundreds of squares and parks to explore. Make sure you’re well hydrated, though – temperatures hover around 20°C during the day and 15°C at night.
• Bastille Day in Bordeaux: enjoying the French national holidays here is delightful. In this particular city, the celebrations are centred in the Parc Simone Signoret and along the esplanade des Quinconces. You can enjoy cultural activities and enjoy its exquisite traditional gastronomy in several charming restaurants in Bordeaux.
• The vineyards are at their best: as you know, we are in one of the areas where the best wine in the world is produced. During these dates, visits to the vineyards and wine tastings are the order of the day, a perfect plan if you are a wine lover.
• New cultural exhibitions: As this is the season when the influx of travellers increases, many of the city’s museums and galleries prepare special exhibitions and activities for this month.

Discovering the charm of Bordeaux

It is safe to say that Bordeaux is one of the most charming cities in France. Moreover, in recent years it has become one of the main tourist destinations, especially because of its importance in terms of wine. In any case, a visit to Bordeaux is always a wonderful plan.

There are many options of activities and places to see in Bordeaux in 4 days: from monuments with hundreds of years of history, to innovative museums with sensory experiences. There is something for everyone, including lovers of the different.

Here are some of the things to do in Bordeaux in July.

The misty mirror of water

Bordeaux’s water mirror is one of its most important tourist attractions. It covers an area of more than 3,450 m2 and is located opposite the Place de la Bourse. It is surrounded by some of Bordeaux’s most important historical monuments.

This esplanade is equipped with a system of jets or water jets that release liquid from time to time, flooding the area by just a few millimetres, creating a marvellous landscape.

What you don’t know is that here you also have the chance to see the atmospheric fogs, included in the list of unusual things to do in Bordeaux. Every 15 minutes, from April to October, a kind of magical mist appears, enveloping the place and turning it into a real film scene that you won’t want to miss.

A walk along the river Garonne

The Garonne is the city’s main river and one of the largest in the area. Enjoying a cruise on it will allow you to see the city from a different, charming and original perspective.

Taking advantage of the good temperatures in July, we recommend that you do it around sunset. You will enjoy a marvellous spectacle as the sun goes down and the city begins to light up. Along the way, you will take a tour of some of Bordeaux’s most historic buildings. For example, the Stone Bridge, the Quinconces Square or the Cité du Vin itself.

Getting to know the city of wine

As you may know, Bordeaux is located in one of the most important wine-producing areas in the world, so it’s no surprise that there is the Cité du Vin, or wine city in English.

It is an impressive interactive museum that opened in 2018 and is also among the top 10 most visited museums in Europe. Around one and a half million visitors since its opening have already seen everything that’s on display here.

When you arrive you will find a wonderful building whose façade imitates the movement of the wine as it enters the glass during the decanting process. It covers an area of 13,350 m2, is 55 metres high and has 10 floors, each dedicated to a specific theme.

Here you can learn about the wine history of the region and the world in general, from its origins to the present day, through talks, interactive exhibitions and, of course, wine tastings.

Take a tour of the vineyards

Continuing with wine, a tour of the best vineyards in Bordeaux is another plan not to be missed. There are many options to choose from, as the area has 113,000 hectares of vineyards. It also has 60 different designations of origin and a production of around 800 million bottles.

Among the options we can recommend are the following:

• Hourtin-Ducasse Castle: it is located in Saint-Sauveur and has more than forty years of history. You can visit all year round, with guided tours at weekends. These, of course, include wine tastings as well as exquisite food.
• Château Smith Haut Lafitte: is in Martillac and covers 87 hectares. It offers one of the most exclusive wine productions in the area thanks to the characteristics of the soil. In fact, some vines have roots up to six metres deep. They produce six different types of wine, between white and red, although the latter are the most seductive.
• Château de Sales: it is in the heart of the Pomerol appellation. Spread over 90 hectares, 47 hectares of which are dedicated exclusively to vine cultivation, its wines are characterised by a fruity flavour that is perfectly charming, and the château is listed as a historical monument.

Let yourself be seduced by its gastronomy

If you want to discover Bordeaux in July, you will find that open-air bars and restaurants are a tradition during this time of the year, as the good weather lends itself perfectly.

Some of the best restaurants can be found along the riverside promenades of the Garonne. In any of these you will be able to enjoy their delicious gastronomy. Of course, wine will always play a leading role, both as an ingredient in their preparations and as an accompaniment.

You can visit them during the day or, on the contrary, go for dinner and then continue with your drinks, as most of them stay open until late at night.