The annual European heritage days take place on September 14th and 15th. As ever the event will provide a unique opportunity to get behind the scenes of many fascinating places, or else stay out in the open and enjoy some fine guided walking tours. Here is a small selection of some of the more unusual visits which have caught the eye of Invisible Bordeaux, while the full list of venues and visits - in Bordeaux and beyond - can be found on the official event website.
Crédit Municipal de Bordeaux
This mansion on Rue du Mirail is regarded as a case study in elegant Bordeaux architecture. It was originally built for the president of the Parlement de Bordeaux but, since 1801, has been the main Bordeaux office of loans specialist Crédit Municipal de Bordeaux.
- Exhibition open both days from 10:00 to 17:30
- 29 Rue du Mirail, Bordeaux, 05 56 33 37 80
This neo-classical city center mansion serves as the command center for south-western France’s air force support branch. It was here that General de Gaulle was on June 16th 1940 when he heard that France intended to capitulate. He soon departed for London, where he delivered a famous radio address, broadcast by the BBC, widely known as “l’appel du 18 juin”.- Guided tours and musical entertainment by military band, Sunday 15th, 09:00-18:00
- 29, rue Vital Carles, Bordeaux, 05 57 85 14 82
Fer Emeraude
The city’s sole surviving ornamental iron workshop will be opening its doors over the weekend, providing a close-up (but hopefully not hands-on) introduction to the handiwork of Pierre Guillebeaud and his team of master craftsmen and women.
- Visits on both days, 10:00-12:00, 14:00-18:00
- 26 rue Cantemerle, Bordeaux, 05 56 81 01 31, [email protected]
The good people of Musée d'Aquitaine are laying on a whole host of guided tours, workshops, and films over the Heritage Days weekend. The event Invisible Bordeaux has its eye on is a tour of the réserves du musée, which is no doubt a treasure trove of unusual (and rarely viewed) documents and objects...including the statue of Léon Gambetta which once stood on Allées de Tourny.- Various events scheduled throughout the weekend, full information here
- 20 Cours Pasteur, Bordeaux, 05 56 01 51 00
Le Chapon Fin as featured on an
old postcard (courtesy of Adam over
at Invisible Paris). Is the tree still there?
- Visits Saturday 14th, 15:00-18:00 ; Sunday 15th: 10:00-12:00, 14:00-18:00
- 5 Rue Montesquieu, Bordeaux, 05 56 79 10 10 / [email protected]
This famous swimming pool was built between 1931 and 1935 as part of the Plan Marquet, rolling out the then mayor Adrien Marquet’s vision for new public buildings that would share a unified architectural approach (other examples include the Bastide bains-douches establishment and the municipal football stadium, now known as Stade Chaban-Delmas). The pool is listed as an historic monument, as is the spectacular decorative gate (previously the entrance to a horse-riding school).
- Guided tours, Saturday 14th: 12:00-17:00; Sunday 15th: 10:00-12:00, 15:00-17:00
- 164 Rue Judaïque, Bordeaux
- Visits on both days, 10:00-18:00
- 190 Quai de Brazza, Bordeaux
Cité du Grand Parc
A far cry from the usual picture-postcard views of Bordeaux, the high-rise Cité du Grand Parc estate was built between 1954 and 1975. Located on the northern outskirts of the city, it aimed to provide a practical and economical solution to the escalating housing shortage in Bordeaux during the “Trente Glorieuses” boom period, as well as a place to house many who had been evicted from the Mériadeck district. Some 4,000 apartments make up the complex which, despite being within easy reach of the city centre, feels like another world. Guided tours will be taking place on bothe days.
France 3 Aquitaine
In Bordeaux as elsewhere in France, the local TV studios of the France Télévisions group are organising behind-the-scenes tours for the general public. The chance to see TV studios, control rooms, newsrooms and possibly even one or two local TV celebrities is once again proving to be a popular draw!
