Bordeaux: The Miroir d'Eau, the Cité du Vin and the Port of the Moon
Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Badge Unlock
Port of the Moon Walker
Complete this challenge to add this badge to your collection.
275
XP
+100 France
= 375 total
2 days
Bordeaux: The Miroir d'Eau, the Cité du Vin and the Port of the Moon
275 + 100 XP
Bordeaux's 18th-century Port de la Lune has been UNESCO-listed since 2007, and at 1,810 hectares it is one of the largest urban areas ever put on the list. In front of the Place de la Bourse, the Miroir d'eau has reflected the façades since 2006 under 2 cm of water on a granite slab, and downstream the Cité du Vin opened in June 2016 near the wartime German submarine base, where the Bassins des Lumières have shown immersive exhibitions since June 2020.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Stand on the granite of the Miroir d'eau opposite the Place de la Bourse and wait out one full cycle: a quarter of an hour of water reflecting the façades, five minutes of nothing, then five minutes of fog rising up to 2 m
2
of 5
Work through the 18 themed spaces of the Cité du Vin's permanent exhibition, about two hours, then take the lift to the belvédère on the eighth floor, 35 m up, and pick out the bend of the port de la Lune from it
3
of 5
See an exhibition at the Bassins des Lumières, where 90 projectors throw images over 12,000 m² of the German submarine base, and walk the gangways between the four flooded pens, each 110 m long, 22 m wide and 12 m high
4
of 5
Walk the Garonne quays Michel Corajoud remodelled along 4.5 km of riverfront, from the Place de la Bourse downstream past the Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas to the Bassins à flot
5
of 5
Buy canelés, the fluted Bordeaux cakes flavoured with rum and vanilla and baked in copper moulds for a thin caramelised crust, and compare the classic 60 g one against a 15 g bouchée from the same counter
Stand on the granite of the Miroir d'eau opposite the Place de la Bourse and wait out one full cycle: a quarter of an hour of water reflecting the façades, five minutes of nothing, then five minutes of fog rising up to 2 m
Work through the 18 themed spaces of the Cité du Vin's permanent exhibition, about two hours, then take the lift to the belvédère on the eighth floor, 35 m up, and pick out the bend of the port de la Lune from it
See an exhibition at the Bassins des Lumières, where 90 projectors throw images over 12,000 m² of the German submarine base, and walk the gangways between the four flooded pens, each 110 m long, 22 m wide and 12 m high
Walk the Garonne quays Michel Corajoud remodelled along 4.5 km of riverfront, from the Place de la Bourse downstream past the Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas to the Bassins à flot
Buy canelés, the fluted Bordeaux cakes flavoured with rum and vanilla and baked in copper moulds for a thin caramelised crust, and compare the classic 60 g one against a 15 g bouchée from the same counter
Before you go
The Miroir d'eau is drained and out of service from November to April for maintenance, so a winter trip gets the granite but not the reflection; outside winter it runs daily 10h to 22h. The Cité du Vin, the Bassins des Lumières and the quays are open all year.
Finding nearby campsites...
About Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Loading region info…
Explore more about Nouvelle-Aquitaine:
Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
275 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
375 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
More challenges nearby
within 100km
Médoc Wine Route: Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Fort Médoc
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
food
medium
1d
32 km away
Saint-Émilion: The Underground Church and the Jurade
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
history
easy
1d
33 km away
Hostens and the Leyre: Five Lakes in the Landes Forest and a Canoe on the Little Amazon
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
nature
easy
1d
39 km away
The Réserve Ornithologique du Teich: 320 Species on the Bassin d'Arcachon
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
wildlife
easy
1d
43 km away
Roquetaillade, Sauternes and Bazas: Viollet-le-Duc's Castle, the Noble Rot and a Pilgrim Cathedral
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
food
easy
1d
45 km away
Montaigne's Tower and the Villa of Montcaret
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
cultural
easy
1d
47 km away