Burgundy Gate

The Burgundy Gate, located on the charming square of Bir Hakeim is lined up with fine buildings. This Gate is the main entrance to Bordeaux from Paris. It was named in honour of the grandson of King Louis XV of France, who succeeded his father as heir to the French crown and was given the title of Duke of Burgundy. In case you wondered, he was never to become King of France, and neither was his father, as both of them died before Louis XV. The one to take the throne under the name of Louis XVI was his younger brother. This explains the genealogical logic behind the name of this beautiful door. It was designed in the middle of the 18th century in a more classical style, like the one of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, also giving the town a more contemporary look. It was Quartermaster Tourny who, upon demolition of the old ramparts , decided to surround the city with beautiful tree-lined promenades punctuated by vast, elegant squares adorned with gates, such as Place Gambetta with its Dijeaux gate. The Bourgogne Gate was once renamed the Napoleon Gate to celebrate the Emperor’s visit in 1808. It is also a listed historic monument.