Tour Pey-Berland Bell Tower
Standing 66 metres tall beside the Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, the free-standing Tour Pey-Berland offers the finest elevated panorama in the city centre. Climb its 231 steps and you'll be rewarded with a 360-degree sweep across the terracotta rooftops, the Garonne River and the vineyards shimmering on the horizon.
The Climb and the View
The tower was built between 1440 and 1466 as a bell tower separate from the cathedral — a common medieval practice to protect the building's foundations from vibration. The narrow stone staircase winds tightly upward, opening onto a small external gallery just below the gilded Notre-Dame d'Aquitaine statue at the top.
From the gallery you can pick out the spire of Saint-Michel, the green lung of the Jardin Public, and on a clear day the pale ribbon of the Atlantic dunes far to the west. It's the kind of view that makes the city suddenly make sense.
The Cathedral Next Door
After descending, step directly into the Cathédrale Saint-André, a UNESCO World Heritage monument whose nave dates to the 11th century. The north portal's carved tympanum depicting the Last Supper is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture in Aquitaine.
The cathedral square itself, Place Pey-Berland, is a pleasant spot to decompress with a coffee at one of the surrounding café terraces after the climb.
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