The Dordogne Valley

The River Dordogne flows through the Gironde, winding between vineyards, forests and limestone plateaus.

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The River Dordogne flows through the Gironde, winding between vineyards, forests and limestone plateaus.

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Sur les bords de la Dordogne, le village de Cabara.

CDT 33 - Bernard Lamarque

For centuries, it was the scene of intense river traffic, going back and forth to the pace of its barges, low-draught craft designed for transporting goods (wine, salt, woods, spices, cereals and coal).There were almost 150 of them at work in the 19^th century, shuttling between French and foreign ships.

These days, the Dordogne makes an ideal destination for hikers and sailing enthusiasts with a love for nature, fishing and heritage. Numerous marked-out pathways, along with the many quays and slipways at such ports of call as Saint-Pardon, Vayres and Branne, enable you to draw up an itinerary that takes you along the river in complete safety.

Down the Dordogne by barge

Departing from Port de Cabara, the “Lamproie” barge takes you down to Castillon-la-Bataille, with a few “barge aperitifs” and discoveries to help you on your way.
+33 6 80 02 54 83

Surfing the Mascaret

During the spring tides (August and September), a long wave, the Mascaret, rolls up the Estuary for some 150 km at a speed of almost 30 km an hour. An altogether remarkable sight, the breaker is an irresistible attraction to surfers bold enough to take it on, as well as to the spectators who flock to the ports of Cambes, Le Tourne and Langoiran on the Garonne, Blaye and Macau on the Gironde, and Saint-Pardon on the Dordogne

http://mascaretgironde.free.fr/

Leisure centres

Dordogne

Base de loisirs du Cléret (canoeing and rowing), Port Sainte-Foy
Base de loisirs de la Cadie, Mouliets-et-Villemartin. Canoeing, small craft and mountain biking
Aire Nautique de Saint-Christophe-de-Double, bathing and water games, fishing area, and fitness trail
Base Nautique de Saint-Seurin-sur-L’Isle, departure point for canoeing along the Isle.

Zoom in on the banks of the Dordogne Reduce

Zoom in on the banks of the Dordogne

Prignac-et-Marcamps : older than the Lascaux caves, the Pair-non-Pair cave, jewel in the crown of Gironde’s prehistory, contains rock engravings, and bone and flint tools dating back to 30,000 years BC. (reservation advisable, at +33 5 57 68 33 40).

Saint-André-de-Cubzac : well worth seeing are the Château du Bouilh (18th century, built by Victor Louis, architect of the Grand Théâtre, Bordeaux), the Montalon Mill, and the tomb of Commandant Cousteau (who was born in Saint-André).

Cubzac les Ponts : the bridge built by Gustave Eiffel and rebuilt by his grandson after the Second World War is still in activity.

Lugon-et-l’Ile-du-Carney : the Saracens who invaded the region in the 8^th century were massacred on the branch of the river forming the island – hence the name “Carney” (the Gascon word for charnel house). The island was also used for quarantining foreign boats.

Libourne : In the Middle Ages, due to its location at the confluence of the Dordogne and its tributary the Isle, Libourne became the crossroads for wines from the north of Gironde and Périgord, as well as wood from the forests of central France. This bastide town owed its prosperity to the wine trade (as, unlike Bordeaux, Libourne did not levy tax on transport of barrels). Well worth a look are Place Abel Surchamp with its 16^th -century houses and arcades, and the twin-towered gateway to the Grand Port.

Asques : In bygone days, this yachting harbour saw barges unloading wood and loading up with the region’s wines.

Cabara : the “peyrats”, which once served as landing stages for barges, are now made use of by large numbers of private leisure craft. From here, you can set off to Castillon-la-Bataille aboard the barge “La Lamproie”.

Sainte-Terre : capital of the lamprey – a fish cooked in red wine in Gironde – and headquarters of the brotherhood of the same name.

Flaujagues : the Pierre Loti pathway invites you to follow in the footsteps of the writer, who stayed in Flaujagues. A small yachting harbour.

Pessac sur Dordogne : after paying a visit to the village, which had a thriving population of watermen in days gone by, take yourself off to the Belvédère hillside, from which there are magnificent panoramic views over the Dordogne.

Eynesse : The Moulin de Maître Pierre (1840) is a watermill still in operation, testimony to the flour mills once so active along the banks of the Dordogne.

Sainte-Foy-la-Grande : this bastide town, founded in 1255, is keeper of a remarkable architectural heritage, including many half-timbered houses. Its Saturday-morning market is listed among the 100 finest in France. Also well worth a visit is the Musée des Bateliers de la Dordogne in Port-Sainte-Foy (just opposite the town’s old port). The museum traces the history of river transport and the bargemen.