Walk Bordeaux along the Garonne
Bordeaux is a city of pale eighteenth century stone set along a crescent bend of the Garonne. FOG starts the world under fog and clears only where you walk, and the riverside quays draw a long curved line you can fill behind.
The river crescent
The historic centre of Bordeaux, a World Heritage site, follows a bend in the Garonne known as the Port of the Moon. The quays have been turned into a long riverside park, and the Place de la Bourse faces the river across the Miroir d'eau, a huge shallow water mirror.
Behind the quays, the old town has grand squares and narrow streets of pale limestone. Rue Sainte-Catherine runs about a kilometre as one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe.
Districts to walk
North, the Chartrons was the wine merchants' quarter, with antique shops and the Cite du Vin at its far end. South, the Saint-Michel and Saint-Pierre quarters have markets and old streets around the Grosse Cloche bell tower.
Cross the Pont de Pierre to the Bastide on the right bank for a view back over the city. A good loop: Place de la Bourse, the quays north to the Chartrons, back through the Jardin Public, down Rue Sainte-Catherine, to the cathedral and Pey-Berland tower, and across the river and back.
Flat and easy
Bordeaux is flat and largely pedestrian in the centre, with trams for the longer stretches. Summers are warm and winters mild and damp.
The centre fills quickly, and the river quays give the map a clean curved edge on one side.
The character who walks with you
FOG puts a small explorer called Wander on your position. Pick one of five paths (two are free, three come with FOG Unlimited) and every two levels on a path hands you a new piece of gear, earned only by the ground you cover. Twenty five pieces in all, and none of them can be bought.
Under the character it is a plain, permanent record: every street you walk in Bordeaux is cleared and stays clear, the app works in the background, and the map is stored only on your phone with no account and no cloud. You can export it as GPX at any time.
Questions people actually ask
What is the Miroir d'eau?
A large, shallow reflecting pool on the quay in front of the Place de la Bourse.
How long is Rue Sainte-Catherine?
About a kilometre, one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe.
Does it work with the app closed?
Yes. With background exploring on, FOG keeps clearing fog while the app is closed and the screen is off.
Start with a dark map.
FOG is free to explore. No account, no subscription, and your map never leaves your phone.
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