Your tour of Bordeaux is likely to bring you to Place Gambetta, no matter if you need a central destination to meet friends, a scenic picnic spot in the heart of the city, or want to admire Bordeaux’s architectural highlights. Walking and biking tours of Bordeaux often pass by the square, and its shaded lawns and peaceful fountain are a short stroll from the city’s main shopping area.
Place Gambetta is equally renowned for its architecture and features a series of facades in the Louis XV style, characterized by mansard roofs and arched ground floors—many of these buildings are now transformed into shopping arcades.
Place Gambetta is also a popular destination for shoppers, close to the city’s Golden Triangle.
There are several cafés, restaurants, and shops on and surrounding the square, so it’s easy to find a spot to eat or drink. There are also public restrooms on the square.
The wide walkways of Place Gambetta are easily accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
Place Gambetta is located in the center of Bordeaux and is easy to reach on foot—it's about a 10-minute walk from the riverfront Place de la Bourse. Alternatively, take tram B and jump off at the Gambetta – MADD stop, just one block east of the square. Numerous buses also stop on the square.
Place Gambetta is lively at all times of the day and night. Get there early on a sunny summer lunchtime to snag a bench or a shady picnic spot, stop by for an afternoon coffee at one of the terrace cafés around the square, or swing by in the evening hours for an aperitif.
Place Gambetta sits at the southwest corner of Bordeaux’s Golden Triangle, the meeting point of the Cours de l’Intendance, Allées de Tourny, and Cours Clemenceau shopping streets. This is the epicenter of the city’s luxury shopping district, where the elegant 18th-century buildings host designer boutiques, jewelers, and artisan food producers, and you’ll find historical monuments such as the Grand Theatre.