Walks · Bordeaux · English
6 narrated stops, 19 minutes of stories, 3.4 km on foot. Press play at each stop — no app needed — or open the walk in Avsha and let the stories keep coming as you move.
Stop 1 · Palais Gallien, Bordeaux, France · 3 min
In short: The Palais Gallien was originally a second-century Roman amphitheater built during Emperor Hadrian's reign. Despite its name, it was never a palace; it served as a venue for gladiatorial games and spectacles that could accommodate twenty thousand spectators.
↓ 750 m · 10 min to the next stop
Stop 2 · 3 min
In short: The Marquis de Tourny, the Intendant of Guyenne, transformed Bordeaux from a cramped medieval port into "Little Paris." He replaced old fortifications with neoclassical limestone facades and created the wide, lime-tree-lined promenade known as the Allées de Tourny.
↓ 300 m · 4 min to the next stop
Stop 3 · Église Notre-Dame de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France · 3 min
In short: This 17th-century Baroque church is known for its legendary acoustics and is considered the best concert venue in Bordeaux. Its facade, designed by Pierre Michel Duplessy, features intricate carvings of Dominican saints and a theatrical display of stone.
↓ 600 m · 8 min to the next stop
Stop 4 · 3 min
In short: Spanning twelve hectares, it is one of Europe's largest city squares. It houses the Monument aux Girondins, a fountain honoring French Revolution deputies, and features bronze statues saved from being melted for scrap metal during the Nazi occupation.
↓ 1.1 km · 16 min to the next stop
Stop 5 · Porte Cailhau, Bordeaux, France · 3 min
In short: Built between 1493 and 1496, this triumphal arch celebrated King Charles the Eighth’s victory at the Battle of Fornovo. For centuries, it served as the main entrance to Bordeaux for those arriving by boat from the Garonne River.
↓ 700 m · 10 min to the next stop
Stop 6 · Basilique Saint-Michel, Bordeaux, France · 3 min
In short: The tower is detached because the church sits on soft marshland and silt. Architects feared heavy bell vibrations would cause the walls to crumble, so they gave the tower its own sturdy foundation to protect the main building.