Bacalan is the neighbourhood at the northern end of the Bordeaux waterfront, once entirely industrial dock territory and now in the middle of a long regeneration. The Cité du Vin wine museum, opened here in 2016, was the catalyst — its striking curved form, resembling a swirling wine decanter, put the neighbourhood on the tourist map.
Beyond the Cité du Vin, Bacalan has a rougher, more interesting character than the polished southern waterfront: old warehouses turned into artists' studios, a covered market, bars that feel less curated than the Chartrons wine bars. The waterfront path from the Cité du Vin south toward the city centre makes a good walk, and the view of the Cité's architecture from across the river is better than from close up.