Harbour

Ponton Cité du Vin, Bordeaux

Name: Ponton Cité du Vin, Bordeaux
Address: Bordeaux, FR

Type: Harbour

River pontoon on the Garonne at the foot of the Cité du Vin building in Bordeaux, used by river shuttles and visiting yachts waiting for the lock.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Right bank of the Garonne, just north of the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas lift bridge. The river runs hard, up to 4 knots at springs, with a marked tidal bore known as the mascaret on some spring tides in late summer and autumn. Approach against the stream, VHF 12 for Bordeaux Port Atlantique. Limited pontoon space, priority to the Bat3 river shuttle and to Batcub services.

Practical

Short-stay only, no water or electricity on the pontoon. Full marina services are available at the Port de plaisance des Bassins à flot, 0.7 NM to the NW, reached via the lock at high water slack. Supermarkets and chandlery inside the Bassins à flot district.

Ashore

Cité du Vin museum directly ashore, permanent exhibition on wine civilisations, tasting belvedere on the 8th floor with view over the city. Bassins à flot district to the NW, former submarine base BAD-2 converted into the Bassins des Lumières digital art centre, 400 m walk. Tram B Cité du Vin stop links to Place de la Bourse in 15 min.

History

The Cité du Vin opened in 2016, designed by architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières. The building sits on the former Bacalan docks, historically used for the colonial trade with the West Indies and for cod processing from Newfoundland.