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Place de la Victoire
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Place de la Victoire

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Place de la Victoire
3.5
288 reviews
#48 of 276 things to do in Bordeaux
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The area
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Best nearby
Restaurants
1,744 within 3 miles
Memes'Tra
116
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • French
Brasserie du Sud-Ouest
136
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • French • Bar • European
Makishop
53
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Japanese • Sushi • Asian
Soul Kitchen
51
0.2 mi$ • Dessert • Deli • Grill
Le Bistrot des Bouchons
53
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • French
Le cafe de l'horloge
44
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • French • Bar • Cafe
Calabash
329
0.6 mi$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Cajun & Creole • Bar
Bordeaux Parme
26
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza
Casa Sudette
14
0.2 miMediterranean
Bistrot B
16
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • French • Brew Pub • Bar
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Attractions
251 within 6 miles
Marché des Capucins
563
0.8 miFlea & Street Markets
Grosse Cloche de Bordeaux
1,092
1.1 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
St. Andre Cathedral
2,426
1.2 miReligious Sites
Musée d'Aquitaine
771
1.1 miSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Tour Pey-Berland
844
1.2 miArchitectural Buildings • Churches & Cathedrals
Pont de Pierre
1,403
1.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Bridges
Place de la Bourse
6,942
1.5 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Historic Walking Areas
Théâtre Le Victoire
86
0.9 miTheaters
La Flèche Saint-Michel
412
1.1 miChurches & Cathedrals
Porte Cailhau
931
1.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
289 reviews
Excellent
51
Very good
122
Average
91
Poor
19
Terrible
6
Vadim
Murmansk, Russia25,890 contributions
Now it's more of a place of entertainment.
Aug 2022
The current name of the Victory Square has been since 1918, so it is clear in honor of which victory it is named. In the Middle Ages, this place was outside the city gates and there was a fair where the peasants of the district brought food for sale. The dominant of the square, the Aquitaine gates, were built already in the enlightened XVIII century in 1754, approximately on the site of the old Saint-Julien gate. Previously, university faculties were located near the square, so the square became a kind of Latin Quarter of Bordeaux. In addition, Rue Saint-Catherine departs from the square, with the highest concentration of shops and bars in Bordeaux. All this has turned the square into the center of Bordeaux nightlife. And although the students were moved to the campus on the outskirts of Bordeaux a long time ago, this did not affect the square, it is already developing according to its own logic..
Written March 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Trainbleu
Brussels, Belgium28,537 contributions
Not a must-see site
Jan 2020
Arriving at Place de la Victoire from the extremely busy rue Sainte Catherine – January sales in full swing – was quite a surprise. The Place appeared like a vast empty space with something that looked like an oversized empty pedestal in the middle. A contemporary sculpture by Tcheck artist Ivan Theimer erected in 2005 as a tribute to vines and wine, we read in our guide, but we failed to see the connection. To the delight of selfie-addicted tourists and small children, there are two giant bronze tortoises next to the column, clearly able to carry a lot of weight.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Traveler O
Washington DC, DC830 contributions
Old Square
Oct 2022
Older city square that's easy enough to walk through or take a tour through. Some eateries and cafes here as well. Entertainers some days, mainly weekends, as well. Just be mindful as riff-raff tends to accumulate here on weekends. Best to just walk through it and continue on.
Written March 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Philippe B
Toulouse, France5,772 contributions
Interesting square
Dec 2019 • Family
This square is located on the former walls of the city although the door we can see has been built at the end of the 18th century, precisely when the walls were dismantled.
You can also see three sculptures of the Czech artist Ivan Theimer: a marble obelisk and two bronze turtles.
Written December 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia42,559 contributions
Large Square
Jul 2019
Place de la Victoire is a huge public square. We walked through on a number of occasions, but did not find it particularly exciting. There are several shops around, including some nice cafes, but not a lot more. The most striking things in the square are the large Porte D' Aquitaine, an 18th century Gate celebrating some historic achievement and named after a royal Duke of Aquitaine. There is also a tall Obelisk as well as two beautiful and very popular sculptures of turtles. These two probably steal the show every time there are visitors around. The Square has some architecturally nice buildings, but the most important element is the amazing Rue Sainte Catherine, a long, pedestrianised shopping street which seems to have almost all of the city's population on it every day from early afternoon onwards! The square is also at the crossroads of some major roads as well as some transport, including trams, buses, taxis and other traffic.
Written June 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Global Citizen X
1 contribution
Bordeaux - A dirty city full of bums, human waste, and beggars
May 2019 • Solo
I traveled to Bordeaux with high hopes - finally visiting France's preeminent wine region. When I arrived I found extremely dirty city streets.. often having to step over human feces and puddles of human urine when crossing through side streets to get to the river.

I was begged at least a dozen times, in common city/walking areas, during my 2.5 day stay.

The city itself seems ugly and dark. I began to wonder why part of the 2bn in annual revenue for the wine region is not used to improve the city and the widespread homless/bum/beggar/pickpocket problem. While practically the entire city reminds you of the worst parts of San Francisco (human waste on sidewalks), Bordeaux has a much smaller population that seems to be within the realm of possibility for being cleaned up and being a normal city. For example, Barcelona is much larger and 20x cleaner.

The interesting sights, restaurants, and nightlife were all outweighed by the dirtiness, human waste problems, and constantly present beggars.

I was pickpocketed of my $1200 smartphone (which doesn't work on Europe's GSM network). I have only myself to blame as I didn't realize I was in such a disgusting and poverty ridden city, and should have never taken my cell or more than $20 euros out of my apartment.

Want to visit one of the great wine regions of France? Fly into the airport (outside of the city) and take a registered cab directly to a villa in one of the surrounding towns.

If you really must visit Bordeaux city, don't take valuables, don't travel alone or in small groups late at night, don't take more cash on you than you're willing to lose. And you'll be quite underwhelmed by whatever you thought you'd see by traveling into the city center of this filthy, third world type city in one of the world's most prosperous wine regions.
Written May 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
saronic
Zurich, Switzerland25,858 contributions
the former 'Place d'Aquitaine'
Mar 2022
At the southern end of the long pedestrian Rue Saint-Cathérine, the city's most famous street, opens up a big cobblestoned square, which is often quite busy, especially with students. All around the classicist buildings by the square are several cafés, brasseries and snack bars, catering to a mainly young crowd.

At one corner one will see the façade of the former 'Faculté de Médécine et de Pharmacie', now a faculty of Human Sciences. Built at the end of the 19th century in neoclassical style it has five busts by the first floor windows. They are of French scientists, each representing one of the five fields: Botany, Medicine, Anatomie, Surgery and Chemistry. By the main entrance are two female statues: 'Scientia', holding a book in her left hand and dressed like a Roman lady in tunic and stola. The other lady is in the course of undressing herself, pulling a cloth with both hands over her head, and showing a naked, voluptuous and quite erotic body.

A main monument at the Place de la Victoire is the 'Porte de l'Aquitaine', just as the Porte de Bourgogne from the mid-18th century, the time, when the then intendant of Guyenne, the Marquis de Tourny, was transforming the medieval town into a classicist city. The name of the arch was given in honour of a Duc de l'Aquitaine from the royal family. Previously the whole square was called 'Place de l'Aquitaine' and only at the end of WWI it got the actual name.

Not far from it stands a sculptural arrangement with a 16m high helical obelisk from reddish Languedoc stone, representing a vine, plus a bronze mother turtle with her baby, beloved by tourists. It is a work from 2005 by Czech-born artist Ivan Theimer. When we were there stalls were set up everywhere selling second hand books.
Written February 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Malarchy
Vienna, Austria844 contributions
Busy Crossing
Apr 2019 • Solo
Place de la Victoire is an open space at the end of rue Sainte Catherine in Bordeaux. It is a popular crossing with a couple of large monumental structures to make it interesting.

The square's main use is as a crossing point including through the tram stop. It connects a range of districts including the city centre and more densely populated locations.

Around then square are restaurants which seem to be pretty popular as well as a part of the University of Bordeaux. This is a busy place of a midweek afternoon.

There is a ceremonial arch in the square designed in the triomph style. It was built in the 18th century and is a nice enough arch but cut off from its historical context it looks a little odd in the square.

The other main monument is a 2005 obelisk. To be honest it isn't beautiful and it is a bit hard to see why it was conceived. More attractive is a large bronze tortoise munching on some vegetables.

This square is not calm, people are rushing about in all directions. The Place de la Victoire is an important crossing but its main features just are not that appealing.
Written April 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Syadza A
Jakarta, Indonesia41 contributions
Touristy square
Dec 2017 • Couples
It is the touristy area where you can do historical sightseeing, stroll on the longest street (rue sainte catherine), and enjoy some french cuisine or coffee.
Written January 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bryan K
18 contributions
Beautiful - at the right time of day
Sep 2015 • Family
It is the lower end of the long rue St. Catherine shopping street. It is also a central location for cars, busses, trams, bikes, and pedestrians. So if you are looking for pictures, mornings or late on holidays are good choices. Aside from that, the square is messy and populated with stands that usually sell unwanted goods. There are three or four very nice cafes that serve beautiful drinks and light meals - but you will pay a pretty penny. You must snap a picture here if you are travelling to Bordeaux!
Find the giant tortoise and take a pictures with your family.
Written May 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Place de la Victoire (Bordeaux) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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