What to do in Bordeaux when it’s cold?

This year again, the cold sets in for a few months in Bordeaux. In winter, we often tend to stay at home, snuggled up on the sofa with a hot chocolate. Not that this program isn't attractive, but we wanted to offer you other activities to do in Bordeaux when it's cold. Gloves, scarves and hats, you're ready!

Opening photo: Vince Gx Unsplash

Go to a restaurant to escape the cold of winter

There is no season to indulge in a restaurant, but winter still offers a special attraction. Let yourself be pampered by attentive service, hot dishes and specialties comfort stomachs in the softness of a warmed room. With its numerous addresses spread throughout the city, Bordeaux has several restaurants where you can discover the gastronomy of the region. Oysters from the Arcachon basin, caviar from Aquitaine or porcini mushrooms from Bordeaux, your taste buds will be delighted. Of course, the essential red wine accompanies your meal, which ends with a delicious cannelé.

Go to the cinema to shelter from the cold

The cinema room with its comfortable armchairs, its relaxing atmosphere and the classic pot of popcorn is a popular destination when the bitter cold turns your cheeks rosy. In Bordeaux, one cinema in particular is worth the detour. Utopia is an unusual place to watch a good film in the heart of an old church in Old Bordeaux. Vaulted ceiling, wooden furniture and arcades, what a pleasure to discover it when it's cold. The program is varied with screenings in original language and subtitled, and includes many festivals not to be missed.

Shopping in winter

It's not difficult to find a shopping mall where you can take refuge when the cold sets in. In Bordeaux, we like to stroll around the Mériadeck Bordeaux shopping center, the Bordeaux Lac shopping center or the Saint-Christoly shopping center. Made up of clothing stores, jewelry stores, delicatessens and shoe merchants, it is the ideal destination when the cold sets in in Bordeaux. Enjoy a day of shopping punctuated by coffee breaks and lunch in a sheltered restaurant, before continuing your afternoon shopping. A must-have in Bordeaux when it's cold is Ikea. This Swedish brand is perfect for spending a few hours during the winter with practical and inexpensive furniture and decorations.

Visit the museums of Bordeaux when it's cold

Open most often all year round, museums are a good alternative to getting out of the house, without feeling cold. In Bordeaux, there is a wide choice between exhibitions, events and artistic demonstrations. Opt for the most famous:

• The city of wine, an incredible monument which surprises with its architecture and tells the history of wine over 3,000 m2 of exhibition.
• The Natural History Museum is astonishing with its skeletons and fascinating representations.
• The Basin of Light opens an enchanted universe where shapes and colors mix in a magnificent musical composition.

We quickly forget our frozen fingers when faced with the varied themes of the different museums.

Go to the swimming pool or ice rink in winter

Rest assured, even if the idea of getting into the water or sliding on the ice when you're already cold doesn't appeal, you will quickly warm up with these activities. Diving, swimming and splashing in the pool helps to numb muscles paralyzed by the cold. For a few hours or the whole day, have fun splashing in warm water in Bordeaux. For the ice rink, it is better to bring gloves and a scarf, remember that you are sliding on the ice. But what a pleasure to skate without being cold! Between maintaining your balance and moving forward without falling, you may even sweat under your down jacket.

Get lost in a local bookstore when it’s cold

Lovers of books and paper will be able to spend hours reading the summaries, discovering their favorites or unearthing the most captivating novel. Bookstores are often run by enthusiasts who like to chat. Don’t hesitate to question them or poke around in the aisles out of the cold. In the center of Bordeaux, the Mollat bookstore is huge and brings together a store of written works, but also an exhibition gallery and conference rooms. Buy your next read or take part in winter events.

Enjoy a brunch or a snack during the winter

It's cold, you're taking the opportunity to sleep in and don't know if you should have breakfast or lunch? Take out the duvets and opt for brunch , a delicious compromise that will satisfy your sweet and savory cravings. Most often offered on Sundays, some restaurants make it their specialty. Treat yourself, it warms your taste buds when it's cold in Bordeaux. In the afternoon you can also take a snack break in one of the city's many tea rooms to taste the famous cannelé. Saint-Michel, les Capucins or even Chartrons, the city center districts are full of good places to stop.

Go to the theater to insulate yourself from the cold

Improvisation, comic piece or more classic, there is something for everyone in Bordeaux. Reserve your place at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, a magnificent iconic structure of the city which offers breathtaking concerts. Other more unique addresses are also worth the detour, such as the Poquelin Théâtre with its intimate 25-seat room in the old bathhouses of the Bastide district, or the Pergola located in an art deco building from 1925. Let yourself be charmed by the small local theaters for a moment of relaxation far from the cold in Bordeaux.

Play an indoor game when it's cold

Nothing better than sheltering while having fun when winter disrupts your desire for activity. In Bordeaux, it's impossible to be bored! Bowling, escape game, billiards, trampoline or virtual room, choose the theme you prefer and bring your best friends or your whole family for a lively day. Game bars and dance bars are also attractive if you like board games, or swaying your hips to the rhythm of music to warm up.

Go to the Bordeaux Christmas market

It's a must-have for the winter season. From December onwards, we put on gloves, fur-lined boots and hats to wander the aisles of the Christmas market. Laughter bursts forth, smiles are revealed under the scarves and joy spreads between the dim lights. Sweet treats are always offered to warm you up, such as sweet waffles, melting pancakes or the famous Christmas mulled wine. Fir trees decorated with baubles and garlands decorate the streets of Bordeaux, don't miss this ephemeral spectacle, you just need to dress well to avoid being cold.

It's easy to love winter when you know how to keep yourself busy. Thanks to this article, you now have all the good ideas for what to do in Bordeaux when it's cold.

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