The river
At the heart of the Bergerac’s old town is the river port, once the commercial centre and key bridging point for barges bringing wood for barrel making, and transporting wine, walnuts and leather to Bordeaux for export abroad. Nowadays most of the boats are on the river for leisure reasons, and a trip on a traditional flat-bottomed ‘gabarre’ is a lovely way to see the town.
To do in Bergerac
The Tobacco Museum retraces the social and cultural history of tobacco, which is grown in the area, whilst the City Museum is dedicated to the history of river transport and the wine trade, two very important aspects of the town’s economy through the ages.
Groups with children and young people are well catered for in Bergerac with a water park, go-karting and ten-pin bowling in the city, and a number of farm parks and activity centres within about an hour’s drive.
The vineyards
There are many wine domaines and châteaux to visit near Bergerac, with the opportunity to taste before you buy. One of the most well known is the Château of Monbazillac, which has a fine collection of 17th century furniture and a museum of wine as well as its vineyards.
There are 13 AOC wines in the Bergerac area, with the reds being mainly dark and full-bodied, and the whites typically dry and fruity, but some sweeter dessert wines are also produced.
