Where is the most beautiful place in Aquitaine?" I ask Christophe Vautrin. The base manager of Locaboat in Agen, a town on the Canal de Garonne, scratches his head and points to the map hanging behind him. The thick blue line of the Canal du Garonne runs from south-east to north-west.
It's beautiful everywhere here. But if you're looking for a special waterway where you feel like you're in France a hundred years ago, then I have an insider tip for you - the Baïse."
He points to a river that comes from the Pyrenees in the south and flows into the Garonne in the small town of Buzet de Baïse. "The Baïse is aunique beautéa unique beauty. Provided you can drive on it." I ask him what exactly that means. Christophe explains: "It comes from the high mountains. King Henry IV made it navigable in the 17th century with impressive locks, weirs and watermills. But when trees are swept away during floods, it's impossible to navigate the Baïse."
Our base manager shows me impressive photos on his PC of old hydraulic structures and villages that are still undiscovered by mass tourism. We don't have to think twice: "That's where we want to go!"
He then opens the canal authority's website, searches briefly and then frowns: "That's bad luck. The Baïse was closed just this morning - because of high water. The locks are flooded. Driftwood is blocking everything." Christophe sees my disappointment and makes an interesting suggestion: "The entrance to the Baïse from the Canal du Caronne is at Buzet-sur Baïse. It would be best if you travelled in that direction. It's possible that the Baïse itself will be clear again in a few days. I'll call you if the situation changes and you're allowed to drive up."
The start: over the first canal bridge
No sooner said than done. We leave the Locaboat base in Agen in our wake, head north-west on the Canal de Garonne and a few minutes later experience the most famous hydraulic engineering structure in Aquitaine, the 539 metre long canal bridge over the River Garonne. It was built between 1839 and 1842 by Jean-Baptiste de Baudre and was long regarded as the largest trough bridge in the world.
A hundred years ago, the Canal de Garonne was the most important lifeline for inland shipping in Aquitaine. The water-rich province in south-west France, which stretches across a lowland area between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic, was allegedly given this name by Julius Caesar.
For centuries, the powers of Europe fought over the fertile land on both sides of the Garonne. In the Middle Ages, Aquitaine fell to England, something the inhabitants still proudly talk about today. English was spoken here for three centuries. It is said that this is the reason why today's inhabitants - in contrast to other parts of France - speak the language.
The waterway on which we are travelling towards the Bay of Biscay is officially called Canal latéral à la Garonne, which means side canal of the Garonne. However, it is usually just called the Canal de Garonne. It is the western extension of the Canal du Midi, begins in Toulouse and flows into the tidal Garonne above Bordeaux. The Canal de Garonne and the Canal du Midi provide a navigable link between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic across Aquitaine, which is why the two canals are also known together as the Canal des Deux Mers. The 196-kilometre-long canal was built between 1844 and 1856 as a bypass for the Garonne, which is difficult to navigate. Today, it is of no significance for cargo shipping and is mainly used by pleasure craft.
On the Canal de Garonne
The locks are very easy to operate: When activating them, you turn a rod that hangs on a steel cable above the canal. The traffic light switches to red-green and the automated lock process is initiated. It is noticeable that there are only a few boats on the way. We are always alone in the lock, there is rarely anyone coming towards us. The traffic is much lighter than on the Canal du Midi.
On the first evening, we make it to the upper water of the L'Auvignon lock. It's 8 pm and the lock is only open from 9 am to 7 pm. We are isolated and alone, surrounded by orchards and vegetable fields. During the night, the rain of the previous days ends and the sun occasionally peeks through the holes in the clouds.
We enjoy the canal journey in a north-westerly direction. At kilometre 132, we pass Pont-canal sur la Baïse and catch our first glimpse of the mountain river flowing below us, the actual destination of our journey.
In the small town of Buzet-sur-Baïse there is a lovely marina with electricity and water and the promise that there are great wine restaurants in the village a little higher up. It really is a pretty little town, but it looks a little deserted and many of the houses are for sale. And the restaurants are all closed in May. Not far from the marina is the Descente en Baïse lock (descent to the Baïse), which is still closed. I ask the lock keeper if we can pass through tomorrow morning. She raises her shoulders and says: "Je ne sais pas".
Damazan and Le Mas-d'Agenais
So we continue along the Canal de Garonne in a north-westerly direction. We reach the beautiful harbour of Damazan at midday. There are about a dozen moorings with electricity and water. A third of them are free, but cordoned off with lines. I ask if we can moor for an hour.
The spaces must remain free when the owners return," says a man from a houseboat. "But the barrier lines are already mossy and overgrown with seaweed," I reply. "I thank him for his hospitality and walk alongside the embankment - without electricity or water. Damazan is an old English town with a pretty centre. When we return to the harbour an hour later, all the berths are still free - as expected.
While the sun is already low in the plane trees on the banks of the canal, we moor in the harbour of Le Mas-d'Agenais. Le Boat's charter base is located here, where we receive a friendly welcome, electricity and water.
The village harbours a treasure that is now worth 100 million euros and of which people in Aquitaine had no idea for a long time: the painting "Christ on the Cross" had been hanging in the village church of St. Vincent for generations. An officer from Napoleon's army bought the painting in Dunkirk and donated it to his home parish. It hung unprotected on a nail at the side of the altar. It was not until 1959 that someone discovered Rembrandt's initials on the painting. A genuine "Old Master"? Or a forgery? Scholars argued and investigated. Today it is certain: it is Rembrandt's famous portrait of Christ from 1631.
For security reasons, the treasure was removed from the nail and stored in the Louvre for a long time. Since May 2022, the work of art has been back in the village church of Le Mas d'Agenais. However, it is no longer hanging on the nail, but in a display case made of armoured glass.
We climb up to the village. Next to the market hall in the centre is the church of St Vincent. It is already closed at 7 pm. Next to the market hall is the Béa Rég'Halle restaurant, where Madame Beau spoils her guests with Portuguese and Moroccan cuisine. Over a Portuguese red wine, I ask the chef if the Rembrandt in the church next door is really real. "Oui définitivement. We used to sing in front of it. I often touched the painting with my hands. That's no longer possible".
After breakfast at Madame Beau's, we enter the village church. No entrance fee. No bag check. No security guards. We stand all alone in front of one of Rembrandt van Rijn's most famous paintings. A French family sneaks quietly into the church behind us. They carry their shoes in their hands. They sit down in front of Rembrandt's Christ and sing an old French hymn.
Pont des Sables and descent to the Baïse
We continue down the Canal du Garonne to Pont des Sables, where we are greeted by a friendly harbour master. Above all, we should take a look at the nearby centre of Bordeaux, he says. "There's a train from Marmande station every hour".
In between, base manager Christophe calls and recommends that we shouldn't drive any further down the valley, as the Baïse might open up again soon. We take the train to Bordeaux and visit the metropolis at the mouth of the Garonne into the Atlantic. In the evening, we receive the WhatsApp we were hoping for: "The Baïse will open tomorrow. Nobody knows how long." We are up early and travel up the canal again. At 1 p.m. we reach the Baïse descent lock in Buzet-sur-Baïse.
It's actually lunchtime. But the friendly lock master waves us in. She hands us a key that allows us to operate all the locks on the Baïse ourselves.
We then descend nine metres in two stages to a yellow river with a strong current and lots of branches floating on it. We cross under the Canal du Garonne and then it's straight uphill. At times, we pass jetties - for example at Chateau Feugarolles - which are flooded by high water.
Rushing water in Vianne
After two hours of spirited climbing, we reach the village of Vianne. The sound of rushing water can be heard from afar. Spray hangs in the air. Vianne welcomes the boaters with its impressive hydraulic structures. The ruins of the old mills on the starboard side, the roaring weir in the centre and the entrance to the lock on the port side, which is separated from the weir by crash barriers. Concentrated driving with plenty of thrust is the order of the day. No time to take a closer look at the imposing hydraulic structures.
The lock is set in motion with the borrowed key. We are alone. Only three men in a work boat shimmy close to the weir to cut up a wedged tree with chainsaws.
We go alongside the town pier in the headwaters of Vianne. We reach the market square through the town gate and are delighted. A number of cafés, restaurants and street traders selling art, kitsch and bric-a-brac enliven the square. The old buildings are in good condition. Vianne is home to many artists, craftspeople and families who are looking for alternative ways of life here in Aquitaine. We would love to stay longer. But we don't know how long the Baïse will be open, so we decide to continue our journey. In the meantime, we have learnt that if it is closed again, it is always possible to drive down towards the canal.
Upstream to Nérac
The further we travel up the Baïse, the stronger the current becomes. Lavardac is our next destination, another old town with an impressive weir, old lock and watermill. In the most beautiful evening light, we go alongside the town pier above the lock. As pretty as Lavardac is, it doesn't have anywhere near the charm of Vianne, and all the pubs in the town are closed. In the suburb of Barbaste, about 1.5 kilometres by bike, there are two buildings worth seeing on the River Gélise, which was navigable for centuries but is no longer maintained today.
A Romanesque stone bridge with ten arches from the 12th century and a four-towered watermill, which was also a fortified stronghold, lie close together.
It is eight kilometres upstream and four historic locks to Nérac, supposedly the most beautiful town on the Baïse. After two and a half hours, we see the tower of the Église Notre-Dame of Nérac and the famous Pont-vieux stone arch bridge. In front of us, the river roars over a weir that is almost two metres high and as wide as the stone bridge. We steer to starboard and enter the lock. The stone witnesses to history are close enough to touch. After the lock, we pass under the bridge into the ancient harbour. We moor in the centre of the old town at the foot of the castle. No sooner have we tied up the lines than our base manager calls: The Baïse is now closed again.
We are not allowed to go any further uphill. But we don't care, as we have just arrived in the most beautiful place on the river. And you can (almost) always drive back down to the valley at high water - as long as there are no trees blocking the access to the locks.
Because the coin-operated machines on the pier don't work, there is free electricity and water in Nérac. What's more, you can moor for free because nobody charges in the low season. We enjoy the walk over the Pont View and through the old alleyways on both sides of the harbour. To the south, the Pont Neuf leads to the castle where King Henry IV and others resided. Today it is a museum. Next to it is the town hall square with numerous shops, cafés and restaurants.
We found it best to sit on the terrace of the Le Vert Galant restaurant by the old harbour in the evening. Here you can enjoy solid French cuisine without gourmet frills at affordable prices. You have a wonderful view of the old harbour and the ships coming in from the upper Baïse. Delicious wines from the Garonne valley are served to go with it. What could be better? The water level on the Baïse is now 58 centimetres above normal. At 50 centimetres above normal, the entrance to the river is closed. At this water level, the locks are not yet flooded and the Baïse can still be navigated downstream towards the Canal du Garonne.
Finally: Sérignac-sur-Garonne
There is a touch of melancholy as we leave picturesque Nérac in the afternoon. We head down to the valley at high speed. We have only engaged the engine to keep the boat manoeuvrable. The river alone is seven kilometres per hour fast. In the evening we go alongside again in Vianne and this time we can explore the town more closely. We still have two days before we have to return the boat.
Around midday, we leave the village behind us, storm down to the valley at the speed of the yellow river, reach the lock to the Canal du Garonne an hour and a half later and hand back the key for the locks on the Baïse.
We make it uphill on the familiar canal to Sérignac-sur-Garonne. Here there is a harbour alongside the canal with electricity and water. It's about a ten-minute walk to the pretty old town centre.
The last day's tour takes us eastwards back to Agen. We pass the four ascent locks to the impressive Pont-canal d'Agen. We enjoy the view of the town, which is gilded by the evening light.
Cruise stages
- Agen - L'Auvignon lock: 18 km
- L'Auvignon lock - Buzet-sur-BaÏse: 10 km
- Buzet-sur-BaÏse - Damazan - Le Mas d'Agenais: 20 km
- Le Mas d'Agenais - Pont des Sables: 9 km
- Pont des Sables - Vianne - Lavardac: 42 km
- Lavardac - Nérac: 8 km
- Nérac - Vianne: 11 km
- Vianne - Sérignac-sur-Garonne: 26 km
- Sérignac-sur-Garonne - Agen: 12 km
- Destination: Agen
- Total distance: 156 km
Nautical information
The journey: The quickest way to get to the charter base is to fly to Bordeaux and then drive on to Agen in a hire car, which takes around an hour and a half. Alternatively, you can also travel by train from south-west Germany or Switzerland.
The region: Aquitaine is located in the far south-west of France, bordering the Pyrenees and Spain to the south and the Bay of Biscay to the west. The former province also forms the southern part of the greater Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, which was created in 2016 and also includes Limousin and Poitou-Charentes. The administrative centre is still the port city of Bordeaux on the Atlantic.
The waterways: The Canal de Garonne provides a navigable link between the wide lower course of the Garonne, which flows into the Atlantic, and the historic Canal du Midi, which leads to the Mediterranean. Other navigable waterways are the rivers Lot and BaÏse, both tributaries of the Garonne.
Weather/climate
Our boat: The Pénichette 1020 FB (10.20 m x 3.55 m x 0.85 m) chartered by us has two double cabins, two heads compartments, a large saloon and a very well-equipped galley. There is an inside and an outside steering position (with bimini) as well as a bow thruster. The boat costs from 2156 euros per week in France (minus early booking and other catalogue discounts), the deposit is 2000 euros. The diesel consumption is 3.8 litres per hour and is charged on an hourly basis. This varies depending on the season, as the heating is also fuelled by diesel.
The company:Locaboat Holidays is a traditional French company that rents out houseboats throughout Europe. The company is represented in all regions of France, with two charter centres in Aquitaine. There are also bases in Ireland, Holland, Italy, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Contact: Locaboat Holidays, Rehlingstraße 17, 79100 Freiburg, Tel. 0761-20 73 70.
- Further information: www.locaboat.com
Literature
Guide Fluvial No. 12 "Aquitaine. " 80 p., colour maps, paperback, format 21 x 29.7 cm, ISBN 2-913120-72-5. First edition 2022, price: 22 €.
- Available at www.editionsdubreil.com/de
Excellent chart book with area description in French, English and German. The book is on board and can also be purchased at the charter base.
Travel guide "Southwest France" by Marcus X. Schmid. 444 p., 191 photos, 58 detailed maps, paperback, 12 x 19 cm. Michael Müller Verlag: 11th edition (2023), ISBN 978-3-96685-171-8, 23,90 €.
- Available at www.michael-mueller-verlag.de
