Tour Pey-Berland
Tour Pey-Berland is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Bordeaux audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Bordeaux Bordeaux guide
About Tour Pey-Berland
A slender 15th-century Gothic bell tower standing apart from the Cathedral, offering panoramic views over Bordeaux's rooftops from its crown.
The Tour Pey-Berland is one of the most graceful Gothic structures in southwestern France, a 66-metre spire of honey-coloured limestone that has watched over Bordeaux since its construction between 1440 and 1466. Named after Archbishop Pey Berland, who commissioned it to provide the cathedral with a proper bell tower, it stands some 50 metres away from the cathedral itself, a separation required because the cathedral's sandy foundations could not support the tower's weight. Climbers who ascend the 232 steps to the top are rewarded with one of the finest views in Bordeaux: the cathedral's Gothic roofscape at eye level, the serpentine Garonne river, the honey-toned historic centre, and on clear days, the vineyards rolling toward the horizon.
Did you know? The Tour Pey-Berland stands 50 metres away from the cathedral it serves because medieval engineers determined the cathedral's sandy foundations could not bear the tower's weight.
How long should you spend at Tour Pey-Berland?
Plan about ~45 min at Tour Pey-Berland. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Tour Pey-Berland worth visiting?
Tour Pey-Berland is one of the 21 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Bordeaux, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Bordeaux
Hear the story of Tour Pey-Berland
Preview the Bordeaux tour free in the Gingerguide app.