Bordeaux
La Cite du Vin & Bassins a Flot
The former industrial docks being reinvented: La Cite du Vin and its panoramic bar, the submarine bunker turned arts space, new restaurants, and the contemporary Bordeaux that exists alongside the UNESCO old town.
About La Cite du Vin & Bassins a Flot
The Bassins a Flot (Floating Docks) were Bordeaux's working industrial port for most of the 20th century. Since the 2010s, they have been undergoing the kind of regeneration that turns former dock areas into the most interesting part of any city. La Cite du Vin (EUR 22 including a wine tasting at the 8th-floor Belveder bar) is the most visited new institution in the southwest of France, and the building, a swirling gold and glass structure designed to suggest a wine decanter, is genuinely remarkable from the waterfront.
The Base sous-marine, a WWII German submarine bunker with walls 2 metres thick, sits a short walk from La Cite du Vin and now functions as a contemporary arts venue and event space. The Halles Bacalan market hall provides the neighbourhood with a food destination. The Bassins area is where the Bordeaux that young professionals and artists are building sits alongside the restored old town, and walking between the two reveals how quickly the city is changing.
Things to Do
Top experiences in La Cite du Vin & Bassins a Flot
La Cite du Vin
La Cité du Vin is Bordeaux's interactive wine museum housed in a striking golden tower that curves like a wine decanter. You'll journey through 20 wine civilizations via touchscreen exhibits, smell stations with 54 different wine aromas, and immersive rooms that project vineyard landscapes around you. The €22 ticket includes access to the 8th floor Belvedere with panoramic city views and one complimentary glass of wine. The experience flows chronologically through wine history, starting with ancient civilizations and ending in modern winemaking regions. The building itself steals the show: its fluid architecture creates surprisingly intimate spaces despite the grand scale. Interactive stations let you virtually harvest grapes, blend wines on touchscreens, and test your nose against professional sommeliers. The Belvedere finale feels earned after winding through three floors of exhibits. Most visitors rush through the permanent collection to reach the wine tasting, but you'll miss the best parts this way. The aroma station on level 2 is genuinely educational, while the projection rooms are beautiful but skippable if you're short on time. The ground floor Wine Bar offers superior wines by the glass (€8 to €15) compared to the basic selection upstairs. Book online to skip queues, especially during summer weekends when wait times exceed 45 minutes.
Bassin des Lumières
This converted WWII submarine bunker hosts some of Europe's most impressive digital art installations, with floor to ceiling projections that transform the massive concrete space into immersive worlds. You'll walk through different chambers where famous artworks by Van Gogh, Monet, or Klimt cover every surface while classical music fills the cavernous space. The highlight is watching these giant projections reflect in shallow pools of water that cover parts of the floor, creating doubled imagery that shifts as you move around. The experience flows like a slow, meditative journey through art history reimagined on an enormous scale. You enter through the bunker's original steel doors into darkness, then emerge into rooms where Starry Night swirls across 30-foot walls or Water Lilies ripple around you in 360 degrees. The concrete brutality of the wartime structure creates an unexpected contrast with the flowing, organic art projections. Other visitors move quietly through the space, silhouetted against the moving colors, adding to the dreamlike atmosphere. Tickets cost around 16 EUR for adults, but honestly, many visitors expect more interactivity and leave feeling it's overpriced for what's essentially a very fancy slideshow. The exhibitions change every few months, so check what's currently showing before booking. Skip the expensive audio guide, the music and visuals tell the story perfectly well on their own. The gift shop is predictably overpriced, but the cafe has decent coffee if you need to decompress after the sensory overload.
Halles Bacalan
Halles Bacalan is Bordeaux's modern answer to traditional market halls, built in 2017 in the revitalized Bassins à Flot district. You'll find 15 food stalls and restaurants under one sleek roof, plus a rooftop terrace overlooking the Garonne River and the dramatic Pont Chaban-Delmas lifting bridge. The mix ranges from classic French bistro fare to international street food, with most meals running 10-18 EUR. It's where locals working in the nearby offices actually eat, not just another tourist trap. The space feels airy and contemporary, nothing like the cramped quarters of older Bordeaux markets. You can grab coffee and pastries in the morning, settle in for a proper lunch at the prepared food stalls (12:00-14:30), or return for dinner service (19:00-22:00). The rooftop terrace is the real draw here, offering unobstructed basin views without the crowds you'll fight at Marché des Capucins. The atmosphere stays relaxed even during lunch rush, and you'll hear more French than English. Most food guides skip this place entirely, which works in your favor. The Korean stall and the natural wine bar consistently deliver quality, while the burger joint feels overpriced for what you get. Come for lunch on weekdays when office workers pack the place, it's the most authentic experience. Weekend mornings are perfect if you want the rooftop mostly to yourself.
Getting Here
Insider Tips
La Cite du Vin booking
Book tickets online to avoid queues, especially on weekends and during school holidays. The permanent collection takes 2-2.5 hours. The 8th-floor Belveder wine tasting (included in the EUR 22 ticket) gives you one glass from the global selection. The wine bar on the ground floor has a serious Bordeaux-focused list by the glass and is worth returning to in the evening.
Base sous-marine
The WWII submarine bunker is one of the more unusual spaces in the city. Entry is free or ticketed depending on the current exhibition. Even from the outside, the scale of the concrete structure (housing 11 submarine pens) is impressive. Check the programme before visiting as the content changes regularly.
Waterfront walk
The bike and pedestrian path along the Garonne connects Bassins a Flot to the old town waterfront in about 20 minutes on foot, passing the Cite du Vin, several new riverside restaurant terraces, and the Chartrons quay. It is the best way to understand the scale of the Bordeaux waterfront redevelopment.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Continue exploring
Vieux Bordeaux & Saint-Pierre
The UNESCO core: 18th-century limestone facades, the Place de la Bourse and its reflecting pool, medieval Saint-Pierre streets, and the cathedral square that has been the civic heart of Bordeaux for nine centuries.
Chartrons
The former wine merchants' quarter: antique shops and galleries in converted cellars, the best Sunday market in Bordeaux on the quayside, serious wine bars, and a neighbourhood that feels genuinely local.
Saint-Michel & Capucins
The multicultural counterweight to the polished old town: the Marche des Capucins (the city's main food market), the Basilique Saint-Michel, and a neighbourhood that has been working-class, diverse, and itself for a very long time.
Plan a trip featuring La Cite du Vin & Bassins a Flot
Get a personalized Bordeaux itinerary with La Cite du Vin & Bassins a Flot built in.
Start Planning