Rue des Remparts in Bordeaux: History, Shops and Property

Where is the Rue des Remparts?

In the historic centre of Bordeaux, the Rue des Remparts is a short pedestrian street of roughly 250 metres running from the Hotel de Ville to the Porte Dijeaux at the edge of the Place Gambetta. It continues the line of the Rue de l'Hotel de Ville and is itself extended by the Rue de la Vieille Tour. The street sits among the parallel lanes that link the Rue des Trois Conils to the south and the Rue de la Porte Dijeaux to the north. The Garonne quays are fewer than 800 metres to the east.

The origins of the Rue des Remparts

After the Roman legions fortified Bordeaux in the third century, successive rings of walls were built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to encompass the growing faubourgs. Until the fourteenth century, the present-day Rue des Remparts was a simple path running between these medieval ramparts, known locally as the Remparts des Teigneux. Beneath the street, one of the underground galleries that once passed beneath the walls during the Middle Ages still survives.

The transformation of the old ramparts into streets and promenades took place principally in the eighteenth century, as part of the broader programme of urban improvement that included draining the marshy faubourgs and opening the city to light and air.

Shops and local life

Today the Rue des Remparts is one of the liveliest pedestrian streets in the city centre, attracting a varied mix of independent shops and young brands. Between the Hotel de Ville and the Porte Dijeaux, the addresses include costume jewellers, a home decoration shop, traditional French restaurants and world-cuisine eateries, a children's toy shop, accessories boutiques, a barber, a cheese shop, a confectioner, a surf shop, a rare and antiquarian bookshop, a historic haberdashery, an art gallery and a tea merchant.

For everyday shopping, the Meriadeck centre is just 300 metres to the west, and the Rue Sainte-Catherine 400 metres to the east. The Ecole Notre-Dame, the Anatole France nursery and primary schools, and the Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature are all within a short walk.

Property on the Rue des Remparts

Apartment prices on the Rue des Remparts average around 5,450 euros per square metre, reflecting its position in one of the most sought-after parts of the historic centre. The range is considerable, from approximately 4,600 euros per square metre for properties in need of renovation to 6,300 euros for the most prestigious addresses. Houses in the area average close to 4,800 euros per square metre.

The Rue des Remparts is one of the hidden gems of central Bordeaux, where period apartments above independent shopfronts and elegant stone-fronted buildings come onto the market regularly. A full selection of properties is available among the properties for sale in Bordeaux.

The consultants at BARNES Bordeaux know the city centre street by street and can advise on the best opportunities in this area, from the initial property valuation to the final signature. The team is available via the contact page.

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