DORDOGNE - La Roque-Gageac & Gabarres

I came across La Roque-Gageac by chance whilst following signs for the Château de Castelnaud, and it was so beautiful I just had to stop. It is another village built into the overhanging rock, but the situation right on the banks of the Dordogne makes it particularly striking and perhaps the best example I’ve seen.



The village was busy and I couldn’t find a spot in the car park, but luckily managed to find a free spot close to the departure point for the Gabarres. These are traditional flat bottomed boats that were used for carrying cargo along the Dordogne, but which now offer pleasure trips of about an hour from La Roque-Gageac and Beynac. I am really not a boat person, but it looked such a fab thing to do that before I knew it, I’d booked myself on the next departure!



We didn’t actually travel that far, but we had a lovely view of the village from the water and explanations in French from the guide or English/other nationalities by audio guide. We sailed along past La Roque-Gageac and the Château de la Malartrie to the junction with the Ceou – a privately owned river – and then on to Castelnaud-la-Chapelle.



Apparently, Gabarres are not allowed to pass under the bridge at Castelnaud because in the summer up to 4,000-5,000 canoes per day travel up and down this section. Blimey!

On the way back we saw limestone strata, herons nests, the source de la Bullide where the village of Castelnaud still take most of the drinking water from, and whose constant cool temperature of about 13 degrees even in the summer attract lots of fish such as trout and salmon. I also spotted a kingfisher and an abundance of brightly coloured green and blue dragon flies.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to visit the troglodytic dwellings above the village or even the church, so after a quick lunch of delicious salmon quiche, I was on my way again.