Bordeaux in Green
What if, just for a second, we forgot about the Bordeaux of stone, with its streets, monuments and emblematic buildings? What if, instead, we looked at another facet of the capital of the Gironde department, where nature gloriously unfurls in the city’s parks, along the river and even in the streets?
Fifteen or so parks, thousands of trees, almost 10 kilometres of landscaped quayside, a meander along the Garonne, falcons and owls: Bordeaux has some surprising natural assets! Here are just a few to whet your appetite.
In Bordeaux, the word “biodiversity” is not simply bandied about and yet not acted upon. In fact, almost 35,000 trees have been counted here, including planes, sequoias, cedars of Lebanon, and holm oaks. The tallest tree in Bordeaux measures 48 metres and is a plane tree found in the Parc Bordelais. The one with the widest trunk, 741 metres, is a black poplar tree found in the Parc Chantecrit.
Parc Bordelais - Rue du Bocage, Bordeaux – 2, 3 > Parc Bordelais
Parc Chantecrit - 43 Rue du Commandant Hautreux, Bordeaux – 4, 7 > Cité Chantecrit
Among the city’s leafy heritage, you can even find seven tree species that have been elevated to the status of “remarkable” species: a label that is attributed according to criteria such as age, height, circumference, aestheticism, etc. The pecan tree (said to be planted from a seed brought over by Thomas Jefferson himself) and the wisteria on Rue du Loup are trees to have had such an honour bestowed upon them.
The fauna is also noteworthy. In the Parc Rivière, a tawny owl has nested in a purpose-built bird box. In fact, since 2009, the City of Bordeaux has committed to the protection of birds and maintaining their urban habitat: 240 bird boxes, made from eco-friendly material, have been placed in 11 of the city’s famous parks and garden areas. Since then, we have seen some kestrels living in the Barails eco-reserve (La Réserve Écologique des Barails and some eurasian hoopoes in the Parc des Berges de la Garonne.)
Parc Rivière - Rue Mandron, Bordeaux – D > Barrière du Médoc
Réserve écologique des Barails - Avenue de Pernon, Bordeaux – C > Parc des expositions
Parc des Berges de la Garonne - Avenue du docteur Schinazi, Bordeaux – B > Berges de la Garonne
You can see more of green Bordeaux along the left banks’s landscaped gardens that stretch from Le Conservatoire to Place des Quinconces, notably at the Jardin des Lumières (“the garden of the Lumières”) which is found on either side of the water mirror. Here, along the river, you have almost 33000 plants, 4000 shrubs and 40 different species.
Jardin des Lumières - Quais de Bordeaux, rive gauche – C > Place de la Bourse
On the right bank, the Garonne river bank has even more green places to breathe in the fresh air. Along here, the banks have often been left in a wilder state, such as in Parc aux Angéliques, stretching from Saint-Jean Bridge to Chaban-Delmas Bridge, giving the banks a more arboreal feel. In addition, the right bank also boasts the Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanique): an exhibition and preservation space for botanical heritage that has both open-air and covered sections, the covered section comprised of greenhouses and exhibition rooms.
Parc aux Angéliques - Quai des Queyries, Bordeaux – A > Stalingrad
Jardin Botanique - Esplanade Linné, Bordeaux – A > Jardin Botanique
Bordeaux does not lack for parks, gardens, squares and small islands of greenery, however it isn’t just here where you can find some verdant scenes! For a few years now, some city-centre streets have become little scenes of greenery, as testified by Rue Kleber, just a stone’s throw from Place de la Victoire. In this little “garden-street”, the pavements have been transformed by plants: purer oxygen and chlorophyll guaranteed! In Bordeaux, adding some greenery to your little pavement area is actively supported by the City Hall. If you respect the conditions outlined, the City of Bordeaux provides technical support for creating a ditch for planting and even brings some earth to help you plant for the first time. In the narrow streets of the Chartrons area, you can find hollyhock, plumbago and other plants covering the walls of the stone facades, adding a beautiful natural effect!
Finally, for those who wish to enjoy the great outdoors, there are many local circuits to choose from, such as the panoramic hillside walk that takes you over the heights of Lormont, Cenon and Floirac. This walk that takes you through several of the right-bank parks (Palmer, Ermitage, Cypressat, etc.) also offers you spectacular views over Bordeaux!
