Place de la Bourse & Miroir d'eau

Where it is & how to get there

• Tram: Tram C to Place de la Bourse, right in front of the square.
• On foot: 5 minutes from the Grand Théâtre or from Rue Sainte-Catherine.
• From the station: Tram C from Gare Saint-Jean takes about 10 minutes.

The story of Place de la Bourse

Until the 18th century Bordeaux hid behind medieval walls. Between 1730 and 1775 the royal architects Jacques Gabriel and his son Ange-Jacques Gabriel opened the city to the Garonne with this elegant square, built to honour Louis XV. It became the symbol of Bordeaux's wealth from the wine and colonial trade.

In 2006 landscape architect Michel Corajoud created the Miroir d'eau across the road: a granite slab of 3,450 m² covered by 2 cm of water that reflects the façades, then disappears in a cloud of mist. In 2007 Bordeaux's historic riverfront, the "Port of the Moon", joined the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Come at blue hour for the reflection. The mirror is usually switched off in winter.
• Kids love running through the mist on hot days, so bring a towel.
• Walk the riverside quays north to the Chartrons or south to the Pont de Pierre.

What's around Place de la Bourse

• Saint-Pierre quarterMedieval lanes and café squares behind the Bourse.
• Musée National des DouanesCustoms museum inside one of the square's palaces.
• The Garonne quaysRiverside promenade for walking, cycling and markets.
• Pont de PierreThe 17-arch stone bridge, 10 minutes south.

Questions travellers ask