Bordeaux · Self-guided audio walk

Saint-Pierre and the Water Mirror

Bordeaux's two oldest layers in one loop: the medieval lanes of Saint-Pierre and the 18th-century waterfront that ends at the Miroir d'eau.

7Stops
1.4 kmDistance
25+ minTime

Photo by Coyau on Wikimedia Commons

This is the walk to do first in Bordeaux. It starts under the Grosse Cloche, the old town belfry on the pilgrims' road, threads the lanes and squares of Saint-Pierre, and comes out on the Garonne at Place de la Bourse, where the city's 18th-century face meets the river. Allow about 75 minutes of easy walking.

Along the way you pass the Porte Cailhau, the quiet squares of the old port quarter, and finish at the Miroir d'eau, the granite pool that mirrors the royal facades. Everything sits inside the UNESCO-listed centre, and it is best seen on foot.

Hear it on the street

Get the turn-by-turn audio guide in the app. The narration plays itself as you reach each stop, hands-free and offline.

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Stop by stop

The route

Interactive map of the route. The full stop list below works without it.

Must see

Photo by Marie Thérèse Hébert & Jean Robert Thibault on Openverse

Grosse Cloche

0:00

The belfry gate of the old town, the last visible piece of Bordeaux's medieval walls.

You're standing beneath the Grosse Cloche, the bell tower that guarded the entrance to Bordeaux's medieval town hall. This is the only surviving gate of the old city walls, rebuilt in the 15th century on a 13th-century gate. The street behind you, rue Saint-James, is named for the pilgrims who walked through here toward Santiago de Compostela. Look up at the bell.

It was cast in 1775 and weighs close to eight tonnes, and its inscription says it calls to arms, marks the hours, chases away storm clouds, celebrates joys and mourns the dead. The round towers also held cells for young troublemakers. Locals joked that they were lodging at the Hôtel du Lion d'Or, the golden lion inn, after the gilded weather vane on top. When you're ready, follow rue Saint-James north toward the river.

Open in Google Maps

≈7 min walk to the next stop

Must see

Photo by mattk1979 on Openverse

Porte Cailhau

0:00

The 35 metre river gate, part fortress, part royal triumphal arch.

You're in front of the Porte Cailhau, the gate that was the main entrance to Bordeaux from the port. It was built between 1493 and 1496 and stands 35 metres tall, so it is easy to miss how much of it is pure fortress: a slot for a portcullis, machicolations, and narrow arrow slits. But the facade facing the river carries a statue of King Charles VIII, and that is the other half of the story. The gate doubles as a triumphal arch for his victory at the Battle of Fornovo in 1495.

The statue you see is a stone copy put up in 1880; the original marble was smashed during the Revolution in 1793. Step around the gate when you're ready. The next stop is the square right behind it.

Open in Google Maps

≈1 min walk to the next stop

Local pick

Photo by Javier Perez Montes on Wikimedia Commons

Place du Palais

0:00

A modest square that remembers a lost palace, the seat of regional power for three centuries.

You're standing where the Palais de l'Ombrière once stood, the fortified residence of the dukes of Guyenne. From 1462 it became the seat of the Parlement of Bordeaux, the court that governed justice across the region. The palace itself is long gone, and its stones left almost no trace. Only the name of this square and the gate beside you survive to mark the spot. In 2010 the square was repaved and cleared, so what had become a cluttered patch of parked cars is now a clean forecourt to the Porte Cailhau. When you're ready, leave by rue des Bahutiers, the lane on the west side, and follow its medieval facades toward the next square.

Open in Google Maps

≈3 min walk to the next stop

Free preview ends here · stops 4 to 7 continue in the app

Place Saint-Pierre

The old port square, watched over by a Gothic church that served the waterfront for six centuries.

in app

Place du Parlement

An 18th-century ensemble of uniform facades around a Second Empire fountain.

in app

Place de la Bourse

The royal square that turned Bordeaux's face toward the Garonne in the 1730s.

in app

Miroir d'eau

The largest reflecting pool in the world, a two centimetre skin of water over granite.

in app

Good to know

Before you go

What order should I walk the old town in?

Follow the loop from the Grosse Cloche down to the Porte Cailhau, through the Place Saint-Pierre and the Place du Parlement, then out to the Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'eau. Ending at the river means the royal facades and the mirror are your last, and best, view.

Is the Miroir d'eau running all year?

No. The Miroir d'eau is shut down each winter to protect its pipes from freezing, so plan the mirror and mist effect for the warmer months.

SourceWikipedia, Miroir d'eau (Bordeaux)

Is this walk flat?

Yes. The old town and the quay are flat and largely pedestrian, which is why this is the best first walk in the city.

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Provenance · last verified August 22, 2026

Built from the Wayside route itself: the stops, their order, and the walk between them.

Photo by Coyau on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo by Marie Thérèse Hébert & Jean Robert Thibault on Openverse · CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo by mattk1979 on Openverse · CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo by Javier Perez Montes on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo by Pline on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo by Remi Jouan on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Photo by Matthias v.d. Elbe on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Photo by Grand Parc - Bordeaux, France from France on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Photo by Ardfern on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo by Matthew Perosi on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0