Châteaux, Rivers & Wine

Stately mansions, restored houses and grand squares form the heart of Bordeaux’s old town. Among its treasures, the neoclassical Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is the pride of the city. Another cultural gem, and a national monument of France, is the spectacular Cathedral of St. Andrew. In 1137, Eleanor of Aquitaine wed the future Louis VII in the cathedral when she was 13 years old. The elegant, 17-arched Stone Bridge is favored among the Bordelais for whiling away an afternoon and capturing views over the river, docks and the harbor.

As you sail along the lush, green banks of the Dordogne, you will understand why writer Henry Miller called this fertile region a “country of enchantment.” Behind the tree-lined shores that you drift past, vast vineyards stretch into this peaceful and pastoral region, leading to sylvan forests harboring secret stashes of truffles and thriving farms that grow the season’s bounty of fresh produce. Occasional castles and grand manses peer out from behind hedgerows along the Dordogne, and the farther upriver you go, the more intimate and narrow the waters become.

This evening, dock in Libourne, where you will enjoy your overnight stay. Built as a fortified town intended to help colonize the wilderness areas of southwestern France, Libourne has hugged the confluence of the Dordogne and Isle Rivers since 1270. Libourne was founded and named by Roger de Leybourne under the English Crown and King Edward I. Later, the town was caught in the middle of struggles between the French and English in the 14th century; England’s loss was France’s gain when it joined the latter. Today, Libourne enjoys a respected status as a wine-making capital of northern Gironde and hosts one of the area’s largest fresh food markets.