Saint-Michel Basilica

The Basilique Saint-Michel is the Gothic church of one of the liveliest districts of Bordeaux, the quarter that spreads around its square on the left bank of the Garonne, and its separate bell tower is the tallest in southern France. The church was built between the fourteenth and the sixteenth centuries, which explains the shift in style from the earlier parts to the later Flamboyant Gothic, with tall windows, fine tracery and slender columns. It was founded by the sailors and craftsmen of the port, and it still stands in a district that has always been popular and cosmopolitan, near the river and the old quays. The building has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in France, which was granted in 1998, because Bordeaux was a major stage on the road.

The tower, the Flèche Saint-Michel, stands apart from the church, which is common in the region, on the opposite side of the square. Built in the fifteenth century and raised later, it reaches 114 metres, higher than any other bell tower in the south of France, and from many parts of the city it forms a landmark. In the nineteenth century a carillon of bells was installed, and the bells ring the hours and play tunes at certain times of day. Visitors can climb the tower, up a spiral stair of about 230 steps, to a platform some 47 metres above the ground, which gives a wide view over Bordeaux, the Garonne and its bridges, and the vineyards beyond. The tower was closed for renovation for several years and has reopened. Open days and hours vary, with the main season from April to October, and there is a fee for the climb, with a combined ticket available for the nearby gate of Porte Cailhau.

Inside the church, the nave is tall and light, with carved capitals, side chapels with altars and statues, and stained glass of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the base of the tower lies a crypt, which was once used as an ossuary and, in later periods, as the place where the preserved bodies of former parishioners were displayed, since the soil here dried and mummified the remains. The crypt has since been used for exhibitions. A small fee is charged for entry to the church on certain days, and opening hours are limited, with different days and times, so check before you go. Mass is held on Sunday morning.

The square around the church is a social centre. On Sunday mornings a large flea market, the marché aux puces, fills the square, with antiques, books and bric-a-brac, and in the evening cafés and restaurants draw crowds. The district has a mix of cultures, with many restaurants from different countries, and its alleys lead to the river. It is a different atmosphere from the elegant eighteenth-century centre of Bordeaux, a ten-minute walk away, with the Place de la Bourse, the Miroir d'eau and the Cathédrale Saint-André, which has its own separate bell tower, the Pey-Berland. The Musée d'Aquitaine is also nearby. The basilica suits architecture lovers, those who like views and anyone who wants to see the everyday side of the city.