This week saw the launch of the first spin-off of the Invisible Bordeaux project : a set of guided walking tours that are available to do...

Bordeaux Walks: guided walking tours of Bordeaux on your iPhone

This week saw the launch of the first spin-off of the Invisible Bordeaux project: a set of guided walking tours that are available to download and run on iPhones, iPads and other iDevices that may or may not yet exist. 

The tours aim to provide visitors (and locals!) with interesting itineraries through the city that take in a host of sights of architectural, historical and cultural significance. As well as written word, the guides feature full audio commentary and original photography.

Three tours are currently available:

  • The Bordeaux Essential Landmarks tour provides a fifteen-stop tour of the sights that have to be seen by any self-respecting visitor, giving the full background story to postcard-friendly places such as the Grand Théâtre, Place de la Bourse, the Miroir d’Eau, Place Pey-Berland and Esplanade des Quinconces.

  • The Bordeaux Secret Sights tour enables users to uncover some of the more curious, less visible and lesser-known sights and stories in the city. These include Cour Mably, Utopia Saint-Siméon, the Grosse Cloche clock and its solar equation dial, Place Fernand-Lafargue and Hôtel Saint-François.

  • The Bordeaux Right Bank tour lifts the lid on the underexplored streets and sights to be enjoyed across the Pont de Pierre. Stops include the former Alcazar theatre, the botanic gardens, the Maison Cantonale, the statue of Toussaint Louverture and the city’s first railway station, Gare d’Orléans.

The tours are available via iTunes. You will first need to download the free GPSMyCity application, which then offers a simple interface to be able to select and download the individual tours. Light versions can be downloaded free of charge while the full GPS-enabled ad-free  upgrade versions can be purchased for US$2.99/€2.49 (or equivalent).

Further tours through other parts of Bordeaux will soon be available, as will Android-friendly and French-language versions.

I trust you will enjoy using these applications as much as I enjoyed piecing them together!

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