Dordogne River
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The Dordogne is a river in south-central and southwest France.
Geography
The river arises on the flanks of Puy de Sancy in the mountains of Auvergne and flows generally west about 500 km in the Limousin and Périgord regions before it joins the Gironde river which shares an estuary with the Garonne river north of the city of Bordeaux.
The Name & Character
The Dordogne takes its name from the names of two torrential streams called the Dore and the Dogne that meet on the flanks of Puy de Sancy and join there to form the Dordogne River. (This is the traditional explanation of the origin of the name, la Dordogne, although there are those who dispute it.)
The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibits the phenomenon known as a tidal bore.
The Valley of the Dordogne is quite beautiful. It attacts a great many visitors and contributes significantly to the region's tourism. The main season for tourists in the Valley of the Dordogne is from June through September with July and August being high tide.
Course
The départements of France through which the Dordogne River runs, together with some towns in those départements that are on or quite near the River, are as follows:
- The département of Puy-de-Dôme - the towns of Mont-Dore (near the source of the River), La Bourboule
- The département of Corrèze - the towns of Argentat and Bort-les-Orgues
- The département of Lot - The town of Souillac
- The département of Dordogne - The towns of Beynac-et-Cazenac, Sarlat, Saint-Cyprien, and Bergerac
- The département of Gironde - the towns of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande and Libourne
Tributaries
Tributaries to the Dordogne River include the:
- Rhue
- Maronne
- Cère
- Vézère along which many of the great prehistoric caves of southwest France are located
- Isle
Activities on the River
Aside from the usual activities such as tennis and golf available in many areas of France, there are a number of water-related activities related to the Dordogne River, including:
- Fishing, an age-old pastime for the locals and for visitors
- Canoeing and kayaking, very popular (canoes & kayaks are easy to rent)
- Boating in a Gabare (a traditional skiff peculiar to the Dordogne)
- Rafting
- Swimming
- Motorboating
- Sailing
- Rowing and sculling
- Waterskiing
Sources
- [Entry to the Dordogne] in Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre
- [The Best of Dordogne] Guide to tourism in the Valley of the Dordogne (the Perigord)
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