Shopping in Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

The Travel Pages guide to shopping in Bordeaux, the city where the word ‘shopping’ originates, including wine and local specialties like Canalés de Bordeaux.

The word ‘shopping’ actually originates in Bordeaux. It derives from buildings called échoppes, where people sold things through their front windows and which eventually developed into the shops that we know today.

Bordeaux has its own special cakes called Canalés, which originated in the 19th century with nuns at the convent of Saint Eulalie. The sweets have been described as a portable crème brûlée, with a caramelised exterior wrapped around a soft vanilla and rum filling.

There are many different types of canalés, with the outside ranging from soft to hard, and quality ranging from cheap street snacks to gourmet canalés using rum and vanilla from Tahiti and other exotic ingredients.

One of the best-known makers is Baillardran, who have several branches throughout the city. One of these is in the Grands Hommes shopping centre in the Golden Triangle, where you can also see the cakes being made.

The rue Notre-Dame in the Chartrons district is the best for antique shops. At the junction with rue Sicard, next to the St-Louis church, is the Village Notre-Dame, a gallery of 30 different antique sellers which opened in 1982. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).