Rostral columns and a secret bunker

The rostral columns, in Bordeaux

The rostral columns of the Esplanade des Quinconces are two elegant neoclassical monuments celebrating the maritime past of Bordeaux. The Bordeaux audio-guided tour stops here to evoke these columns adorned with navigation symbols, and the legend of a secret bunker.

The maritime columns and the legend of the bunker

On the Esplanade des Quinconces, on the Garonne side, stand two magnificent rostral columns in the neoclassical style, adorned with navigation symbols. The so-called rostral columns are traditionally erected in tribute to naval victories, and take their name from the rostra, those bow rams of the ancient ships, with which they are decorated. In Bordeaux, a port and merchant town turned towards the river and the ocean, these columns celebrate the maritime and commercial power of the town, one of the greatest ports of the history of France. They frame the perspective of the esplanade towards the Garonne. A legend tells that a secret bunker would be hidden in the surroundings or the basements, adding a touch of mystery to the place. Witnesses of the port grandeur of Bordeaux, the rostral columns are a remarkable element of the Quinconces.

What to see

You admire the two magnificent neoclassical rostral columns adorned with navigation symbols and ship rostra, erected in tribute to the maritime and commercial power of Bordeaux, framing the perspective of the Quinconces towards the Garonne, around which runs the legend of a secret bunker. The rostral columns testify to the port grandeur of Bordeaux. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The rostral columns lie on the Esplanade des Quinconces, on the Garonne side, in the heart of Bordeaux, reachable on foot. They are open-air monuments, freely visible from the public space. You discover them during a walk on the esplanade.

What are the rostral columns of Bordeaux?

Two neoclassical columns adorned with navigation symbols and ship rostra, traditionally erected in tribute to naval victories, which celebrate the maritime and commercial power of Bordeaux, on the Esplanade des Quinconces on the Garonne side.

Where are the rostral columns of Bordeaux?

On the Esplanade des Quinconces, on the Garonne side, in the heart of Bordeaux, in France.