The annual European heritage days take place on September 17th and 18th. Hurrah! As always, there are hundreds of options available, mak...

Journées du Patrimoine 2016: the Invisible Bordeaux selection!


The annual European heritage days take place on September 17th and 18th. Hurrah! As always, there are hundreds of options available, making it difficult to know where to start.

So, to make things easier for you, Invisible Bordeaux has once again been looking closely at what’s on offer and here is a small selection of some of the more unusual and eye-catching visits... although this year’s choices come with a twist: all of these activities lie outside Bordeaux. Meanwhile, the full list of venues and visits - in Bordeaux and beyond - can be found on the official event website.

Plate-forme Industrielle du Courrier (Cestas)
If industrial tourism is your thing, and you also happen to be into letters and parcels, a guided tour of this massive ultra-modern postal sorting office might just be for you!
  • Guided tours from 09:00 to 18:00 on Saturday September 17th
  • Registration by e-mail on resa.pic-bordeaux-cestas@laposte.fr
  • Address: ZA Pot au Pin, 8 chemin Saint Raymond, Cestas 
Château Palmer (Cantenac)
When the Journées du Patrimoine weekend comes round, most wine-growing châteaux just lay low and hope it will go away. So kudos to Château Palmer in Margaux wine territory, who are laying on guided tours of the estate and its agricultural heritage.
  • Guided tour at 10:00 on Saturday September 17th
  • Information: 05 57 88 72 72
  • Address: Port d'Issan, Cantenac


Source Sainte-Anne (Arcachon, pictured above)
This visit serves as a welcome reminder that there’s more to Gironde than just wine, there’s also plenty of water! The place where the renowned Abatilles water is captured and bottled will be open to the general public, who will be able to enjoy a special photo exhibition and dedicated museum.
  • 10:00-12:30 & 14:30-17:00 on September 17th & 18th
  • Address: 157 boulevard de la Côte d'Argent, Arcachon
Cité des Castors (Pessac)
This has long-been earmarked as a subject Invisible Bordeaux would like to cover: the first housing estate built by the Castors cooperative movement between 1948 and 1951. The 150 homes were built by the first people who were set to live there, everyone pulling together in their leisure time to create a community from scratch.
  • Guided tour at 10:00 on Saturday September 17th
  • Address: 37 avenue Pierre Cérésole, Pessac

Moulin de Lansac (Lansac, pictured above)
This remarkably well-restored windmill (and its neighbouring miller’s house), a past blog subject, will be open over the heritage days weekend. Enthusiastic volunteers will be on hand to explain how a windmill works, and possisibly to grind out some flour in front of visitors’ eyes. Oh, and crêpes freshly-made using the windmill's produce will also be on sale!
  • 14:00-18:00 on September 17th & 18th
  • Address: lieu dit "Grand Puy", Lansac
Bastide de Créon (Créon)
Créon, within easy reach of Bordeaux eastwards along the Lapébie cycle path, is a fortified town that very much deserves a visit. So why not aim for one of the guided tours of the town’s fortifications, highlighting the overall theme of this year's heritage days, which is “heritage and citizenship” (patrimoine et citoyenneté).
  • Guided tour at 17:00 on Saturday September 17th
  • Registration by calling 06 80 81 56 63
  • Meeting point: 62 boulevard Victor Hugo, Créon

Site Saint-Eloi (Andernos-les-Bains, pictured above)
Roll up for a guided tour of the remains of a 4th-century Gallo-Roman villa on the waterfront in Andernos, as also previously featured on the blog. The ruins are understandably fascinating, as is the story of how they were uncovered and later analysed.
  • Guided tour at 14:30 on Saturday September 17th
  • Registration by e-mail on tourisme@andernoslesbains.fr
  • Address: 14 avenue Pasteur, Andernos-les-Bains
Oyster farming huts (Gujan-Mestras)
If you want to get an idea of how oysters make their way from the waters of Arcachon Bay to the area’s fish markets and restaurant menus, then look no further than the charming Larros and Canal ports in Gujan-Mestras.  A number of huts will be open to the public and guided tours of the “Maison de l’Huître” will be available.
  • 14:00-18:00 on Saturday September 17th; 10:00-12:30 & 14:00-18:00 on Sunday September 18th
  • Registration on seccom@ville-gujanmestras.fr or 05 57 52 57 64

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