Basilique Saint-Michel

The Basilique Saint-Michel is one of the great churches of Bordeaux, and it is not a nineteenth-century Gothic Revival building, as the earlier description suggested, but a late Gothic church of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in the flamboyant style, rising in the southern part of the old city. It stands at the Place Canteloup, in the district that takes its name from the church, in Bordeaux. Its style, with pointed arches, slender pillars and lacy stone tracery, belongs to the final phase of the medieval tradition, when builders delighted in elaborate decoration, and the interior is tall and light.

The church was built in a lively working-class neighbourhood close to the port, by the river Garonne, funded by merchants and boatmen, which is why it is so large and grand for a parish church. Next to it stands its separate bell tower, a distinctive feature of Bordeaux churches, which rises to about 114 metres and is among the tallest in France. The tower was begun in the fifteenth century and later suffered from lightning and decay, and its upper spire was rebuilt in the nineteenth century, which accounts for the confusion about the date. Visitors can climb the tower, which involves about 230 steps in a narrow stair with no lift, and from the top, there is a sweeping view over the city, the river and the surrounding plain. Access is limited to a small number of people at a time for safety reasons, and large bags are not allowed, so check the hours and conditions before you go. The ground floor of the tower has historically held a crypt, whose display of mummified bodies was a local curiosity, though the exhibition has changed over time.

The basilica is listed by UNESCO as part of the monuments on the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela, and the historic centre of Bordeaux, the Port of the Moon, with its elegant eighteenth-century stone buildings, is also a World Heritage site. The area around the church has a lively atmosphere, with a market in the square and a flea market that draws crowds, and it is a more authentic and less polished part of the city than the grand squares near the river.

Elsewhere in Bordeaux, the Cathédrale Saint-André, the Place de la Bourse and its Miroir d'eau, the Grand Théâtre, the Cours de l'Intendance, the Jardin Public, the Musée d'Aquitaine, the Capucins Market, the Pont de Pierre and the Cité du Vin, a modern museum of wine, add to a full day.

The church suits architecture lovers, fit walkers who want a view and curious visitors. Entry to the church is usually free.