Bordeaux botanical garden

Two shores, one story

At the beginning of the 17th century, the jurats of Bordeaux envisioned the creation of a garden dedicated to the botanical studies of doctors and apothecaries. However, the first botanical garden in Bordeaux would not see the light of day until a century later, after much hesitation and heated debates about its location. If it was the Arnaud-Guiraud enclosure that would be chosen in 1726, the garden would quickly begin a series of moves that would eventually lead it to the other side. During the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, it will thus be successively transposed to rue d'Aviau (former rue Mautrec) near allées de Tourny, rue du Jardin des Plantes, near the Porte Sainte-Eulalie, then on land of the Carthusian monastery. In 1855, the garden experienced its penultimate journey when it moved to the Jardin Public. He will know his heyday there and will stay there until the 21st century. In the 90s, it was further enriched with new species. However, the time has come for reflection on the redevelopment of the city's right bank. The idea of transferring the Botanical Garden there emerged in 1996. The project began in 1999 with the inauguration of the new garden at the Bastide in 2003.

What to discover at the botanical garden?

Facing the Place de la Bourse, along the Garonne in the Bastide district, the Botanical Garden offers unique views over the old town center. Over 600 meters in length, it invites relaxation, strolling and discovery through its six landscapes and its 750 m2 of greenhouses. A path allows you to cross the different areas of the garden from the banks of the Garonne:

• The 1250 m2 of the aquatic garden filled with water lilies and irises
• The eleven Aquitaine ecosystems represented in the environment gallery
• Crop fields and their plants from around the world
• The pioneer plant alley and its collection of ferns and lichens
• The arboretum and its variation which ranges from shrubs to giant species
• The vertical garden dedicated to climbing plants
• The orchard and its multitude of fruit trees including many old local varieties
• Greenhouses composed of 7 modules and populated with succulents, carnivorous plants and palm trees
• Educational plots where children discover gardening
• The Agora, a grassy area of 5,000 m2 which hosts entertainment, games and moments of relaxation.
  

Practical information

The Bastide Botanical Garden is open every day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter. The greenhouses open every day except Mondays and holidays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Temporary and permanent exhibitions are offered at the Botanical Garden: the permanent space is devoted to the history of the Botanical Garden of Bordeaux, to spices and to the history of botany since antiquity. Temporary exhibitions can focus on art, well-being, or even the universe of the infinitely small.

Entrance to the garden is free for all. The price for a visit to the greenhouses and exhibition halls is 4 euros full price; 2 euros reduced rate for groups, job seekers and large families; free for those under 18, disabled people or beneficiaries of social minima. Workshops are offered, from 5 to 40 euros depending on the duration of the activity.

Access to the district from the historic center is simple thanks to the A tram line which serves the right bank, the Stalingrad stop to walk along the banks through the Parc aux Angéliques, or the Jardin Botanique stop for more direct access to the Garden. The site is also served by bus lines 50, 91, 92, 45 and 10. If the area appeals to you and you want to invest in real estate in Bordeaux near the botanical garden and the public garden, you should know that transport will be the appointment !