Bordeaux, city, southwestern France, capital of Gironde Department, on the Garonne River. It is a major port, accessible to oceangoing ships via the Gironde River, which flows into the Bay of Biscay (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean). In addition, canals link the city with the Mediterranean Sea. Bordeaux is the base for a large fishing fleet, and it is the chief trade and shipping center for the world-famous Bordeaux wines, produced nearby. Manufactures of the city include ships, motor vehicles, refined petroleum, chemicals, and processed food.
Lying along a broad bend in the Garonne, the site of Bordeaux is crescent-shaped. From the center of the city and north, Bordeaux is well planned, with wide streets, spacious squares (notably the Place des Quinconces), and many imposing buildings. To the south of this section, which was constructed during the 18th century, is the old section, with narrow, crooked streets and numerous wooden structures in the 15th-century architectural style. One of the principal points of interest in the city is the Porte de Burgundy, an arched gate dating from the 18th century, at the end of the vehicular and pedestrian bridge spanning the Garonne. Noted churches include the Cathedral of Saint André (consecrated 1006); the Church of Sainte Croix, a Romanesque basilica of the 12th and 13th centuries; and the Church of Saint Seurin, dating from the 11th to the 15th century. Other points of interest include the Hôtel de Ville, former residence of the archbishops; the Bordeaux Library, which contains many valuable manuscripts; the Grand Théâtre, an 18th-century structure; and several art museums. Bordeaux and nearby Talence are the sites of the universities of Bordeaux I, II, and III, established in the early 1970s to replace the University of Bordeaux (1441).
