| The elegant, eighteenth-century city centres on the quartier St-Pierre and stretches up to the Grand Théâtre to the north, the cathedral to the west and the cours Victor-Hugo to the south. The narrow streets are lined with grand mansions from Bordeaux's glory days, and much of the area has been done up over recent years, though some of the streets remain seedy in anticipation of the restorer's touch. The social hub of the eighteenth-century city was the impeccably classical Grand Théâtre on place de la Comédie at the northern end of rue Ste-Catherine. Built on the site of a Roman temple by the architect Victor Louis in 1780, this lofty building is faced with an immense colonnaded portico topped by twelve Muses and Graces. Inside, the interior is likewise opulently decorated in trompe l'oecil paintings; the best way to see it is to attend one of the operas or ballets staged throughout the year, with seats in the gods from as little as €6.10 (tel 05.56.00.85.95 for info & bookings), or ask at the tourist office about the guided tours they sometimes offer. Smart streets radiate from here: the city's main shopping street, rue Ste-Catherine, running south and partially pedestrianized to ease the consumer flow; the ritzy cours de l'Intendance running west; and the sandy, tree-lined allées de Tourny running northwest, commemorating the Marquis Louis Aubert de Tourny – the eighteenth-century administrator who was prime mover of the city's "Golden Age" and supervised much of the rebuilding. Back in the narrow streets of the old town, the harmonious place du Parlement and place St-Pierre are both lined with typical Bordelais mansions and peppered with wrought-iron balconies and arcading, making impressive examples of town planning. The riverfront was also given the once-over by early eighteenth-century planners, with the imposing place de la Bourse creating a focal point on the quayside. The impressive bulk of the old customs house of 1733 contains the Musée des Douanes (Tues–Sun 10am–6pm; €3.05), which gives a rundown on Bordeaux's port and seafaring past and retraces the history of the administration and work of French Customs. The square is balanced by the Palais de la Bourse (stock exchange) looking out over the quayside and the broad River Garonne. Further south along the riverbank, the fifteenth-century Porte Cailhau takes its name from the stones (cailloux – cailhaux in dialect) unloaded on the neighbouring quay to be used as ballast for boats. Crossing the river just south of here, the only testimony to a nobler past is the impressive Pont de Pierre – "Stone Bridge", though in fact it's mostly brick – built at Napoléon's command during the Spanish campaigns, with seventeen arches in honour of his victories. The views of the river and quays from here are memorable, particularly when floodlit at night.
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