The great door or the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was modelled on the doors of the 11th century Cathedral of Bordeaux. Here Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII in 1137. In the 14th century, Bordeaux's Archbishop became Pope Clement V and moved the seat of Papal rule from Rome to Avignon.
You’ll see little brass floor plates as you walk through the city indicating that you’re on the Way of St James (Camino de Santiago). There are 3 UNESCO listed churches on the route.
Not far from the Cathedral, the current town hall of Bordeaux was intended to be the palatial residence of Archbishop Monseigneur the prince of Rohan Ferdinand-Maximilian de Mériadeck in the 18th century. He spent 2 million livres on it, a phenomenal sum of money in those days, he could have built three enormous chateaux with 500 hectares of land for the same money. He never spent a night there as he was sent to a new job. Napoleon did though, and whilst there he commissioned the building of the Pont de Pierre, the first bridge across the Garonne River in Bordeaux.
As you wander you might notice that some streets have more than one name. Streets often changed names over centuries, and this was particularly so in France following the French Revolution. In Bordeaux though, they kept the old names too, for instance Marché Royale became Marché Liberté– but both names are shown (above left).
Don't miss the magnificent Cité du Vin about which there is so much to write but not enough room here (read about my visit on The Good Life website here). It is a superb museum, the history of wine throughout the ages and around the world though of course with an emphasis on Bordeaux.