The name Dordogne come from the Celtic words Du unna meaning fast water. During the Roman Empire, the river was known as the Duranius, and evolved during the Middle Ages to Duranna, Durunia, Durdunia, Dordoigne and finally Dordogne
The river, whose source is in the Auvergne at the Puy de
Sancy (1 886m/6 186ft), crosses five departments (Puy de Dôme, Corrèze, Lot,
Dordogne and Gironde) before joining the Garonne river to form the Gironde
estuary
The cruise leaves from La Roque Gageac:
 |
| The Gabarre in front of the Castelnaud bridge |
The
gabarres were the traditional flat-bottomed boats used on the Dordogne River for
transporting goods between the Massif Central and the city of Bergerac,
Libourne and Bordeaux
La Roque Gageac
La Roque Gageac built right into the
cliff face obtained the title of
“the most beautiful village in France”
 |
Remain of an old road dating from
the Gallo-Romain period
|
 |
| The village Hall of La Roque Gageac |
In January 1957 a huge rock fell from the cliff face destroying a dozen houses and killing three people
The little tour goes past a succession of old fortified
villages and castles
 |
| Paradise for canoeing kayaking |
Château de Malartrie
located at the exit of the village of La Roque Gageac
Château de Castelnaud
could have built in the 12th
century is one of the most visited châteaux in France with his Middle Ages
Warfare museum
