La Cité du Vin

La Cité du Vin is a wine museum and cultural centre at 134 Quai de Bacalan, in the Bacalan district on Bordeaux's north quays in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Opened in 2016, the building is a curved, 55 m tower whose gleaming, swirling form evokes wine in a glass and the eddies of the Garonne. Inside, the permanent exhibition spreads over several levels and treats wine as a world culture rather than a regional product. Visitors carry a guide device and move through immersive, themed spaces covering vineyards and landscapes, grape varieties, the history of wine trade, tasting, art and the cultures of wine across continents, with films, scents, projections and interactive stations. The visit ends on the 8th-floor belvedere, which offers a 360-degree view over the Garonne, the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas and the old city, with a glass of wine or a soft drink included in the ticket. A restaurant, a wine shop with a large selection and temporary exhibitions complete the site. Plan 2.5 to 3 hours for the permanent exhibition and belvedere. The adult ticket is about EUR 23, children aged 6 to 17 about EUR 9, and under-6s enter free. The best exterior photo angles are from the quay near the tram stop, where the tower reflects light, and from the belvedere at sunset. Crowds are heaviest on weekends, in school holidays and around midday, while weekday mornings just after opening are calmest. Tram line B stops at Cité du Vin, about 25 minutes from the old centre. The museum can be combined with the Bassins des Lumières, a short walk away through the Bacalan docks, to make a half-day or full-day excursion north of the centre.