On our estate you will find the old harbor of Lalinde next to the renovated warehouse. It would typically take around six days to descend the river between Argentat and Bordeaux, navigating through Beaulieu, Souillac, Beynac, Bergerac…and over two weeks to return upstream with animals (or men) often pulling the boats with ropes from the river banks.
The boats would transport materials like wood and slate as well as salt and wine produced in nearby vineyards. Although the Dordogne’s river trade and use of gabares soared in the 18th and 19th centuries, these traditional flat-bottomed boats were operated as early as the Middle Ages. It also served to connect populations living higher up the river in Auvergne and Limousin with those lower down in Bergerac and Bordeaux. Once a bustling commercial axe for the valley, the river was the most direct and safest way of circulating goods. Past Bort, it is dammed another four more times before arriving at the charming riverside town of Argentat with its medieval houses, quayside restaurants and fantastic post-lunch strolls. In several places the river is dammed to form long, deep lakes like Bort-les-Orgues.
#PORT PLAGNE DORDOGNE RIVER DRIVER#
Its steep cliffs, fast flowing water and high bridges attract many walker, driver and canoeist.
#PORT PLAGNE DORDOGNE RIVER SERIES#
The upper valley of the Dordogne includes a stunning series of deep wooded gorges. As the region has never been heavily industrialized, its wealth of unspoiled countryside and beautifully-preserved towns and villages is greater than most other areas in France. Measuring 483 km in length, the river changes completely in character during its voyage to the sea but keeps one very important characteristic: The stunning villages, castles and countryside to be discovered nearby. Its name also evolved from the ancient pre-Celtic term ‘Duranius’ meaning water and is one of the few rivers in the world to exhibit a tidal bore. It is on the verdant flanks of the Sancy that two streams named the Dore and the Dogne tumble down the steep hillsides to merge and form the mighty Dordogne. Rising in the Massif du Sancy in Auvergne and emptying into the Gironde estuary near Bordeaux, the Dordogne crosses much of south-west France in a westerly direction. It has an important variety of fishes (39 species) and it is especially valuable because it is the last refuge of all major diadromous fish of Western Europe. The Dordogne basin is home to a rich biodiversity of plant and animal species remarkable at national and European levels.
In 2012, the Dordogne river basin was recognized by UNESCO for its outstanding setting and natural heritage and added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The Dordogne river is a quintessential French river with deep gorges, bold rapids and peaceful meanders enveloped by medieval villages and imposing fortresses. Dordogne river a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
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