Place de la Bourse
A classical 18th-century square, open to the river. The first open square in French town planning.
History
Place de la Bourse, first named Place Royale, was built between 1730 and 1755 on the initiative of the intendant Boucher and then Tourny. The king's architects, Jacques Gabriel and then his son Ange-Jacques Gabriel, designed the matching facades around it: the Hôtel des Douanes to the south, the Palais de la Bourse to the north. It was the first breach opened in Bordeaux's old medieval ramparts, meant to give the city a face turned towards the river and the ships anchored there. An equestrian statue of Louis XV once stood at its centre; it was melted down during the Revolution. In 1869 the Fontaine des Trois Grâces took its place. The square's name changed several times with the political regime, before settling in 1848.
What to see there
- The matching facades of the Palais de la Bourse and the HĂ´tel des Douanes
- The Fontaine des Trois Grâces, at the centre of the square
- The carved mascarons on the facades, with their varied motifs
- The open view straight onto the Garonne
Our tip
Come early in the morning, before the groups, to have the square almost to yourself; the Water Mirror, just opposite, starts up a little later in the morning.
On our walks
- The historic heart — 2h30 · 5.0 km
Nearby addresses
- Madame Pang — 16 rue de la Devise — Fusion Asian, very well executed, small space, very popular. Reservations advised. 📍
- Maison du glacier — 1 pl. Saint-Pierre — Bordeaux's best ice cream according to many. Queue is justified. 📍
- LouLou — 16 rue de la Croix des Aides — Elegant French brasserie, unpretentious. Good wine list, pleasant terrace. 📍
- Déméter — 9 rue Ausone — Sharing neo-bistro, creative small plates, natural wines. One of our favourites. 📍
All our neighbourhood addresses
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