Chateau de Lamotte Bardigues

Gascony Cruise

A Classic Cruise in Gascony
Rosa Cruises (Spring & Summer)

Cruise highlights

  • Visit the renowned Château Bellevue la Fôret for a winery tour and private tasting
  • Visit to Château de Goudourville
  • Guided tour and private tasting at a renowned local Armagnac producer
  • Visit Moissac and its UNESCO classified abbey

Cruise itinerary: Montauban to Boé

Sunday Guests are met in Toulouse and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Rosa. Following a champagne welcome, there is time for a tour of the beautiful old town of Montauban, set on the River Tarn, before returning for your first dinner on board.

Montauban place Charming redbrick town on the Tarn River banks
Charming redbrick town on the Tarn River banks
Ramier 1 artisanal cheese making
artisanal cheese making
Ramier 3 cheese refining
cheese refining
Montech 1 Montech water slope
Montech water slope

Monday This morning we take a short drive to an artisanal dairy farm at Ramier, where we experience the entire cheese making process, culminating in a delicious tasting with the opportunity to purchase a few slices to take home! Next, we head to old Montauban for a stroll around this charming redbrick town on the banks of the River Tarn. Following lunch on board, Rosa meanders up the flight of nine locks on the beautiful, recently restored branch canal skirting the Forest of Agre and moors in the heart of the little town of Montech. Dinner on board.

Tuesday After breakfast, we head into the Côtes du Frontonnais wine region in the minibus for a wine tasting at the renowned Château Bellevue la Fôret. Our introduction to the outstanding cuvée ‘Optimum’ is in the skilled hands of Diane Germain, the Boston-educated daughter of the house. Lunch back on board is followed by a guided tour of the remarkable inclined Water Slope, an amazing feat of engineering that by-passes five locks and, when back in service in the near future, will lower vessels 43 feet all in one go. In the afternoon we will cruise to Castelsarrasin, where there may even be time for a game or two of boules before dinner on board.

grapes 1 Château Bellevue la Forêt
Château Bellevue la Forêt
Moissac 3 Pont Canal du Cacor
Pont Canal du Cacor
Moissac abbey 2 Saint Peter's cloisters
Saint Peter's cloisters
Le Florentin Restaurant in Moissac
Restaurant in Moissac

Wednesday This morning we cross the River Tarn via the 1,000 foot long aqueduct, the Pont Canal du Cacor, then descend towards Moissac through a staircase of delightful locks and moor for lunch on the River Tarn below the old watermill. Then we cruise downstream to St. Livrade for an optional afternoon’s swimming or canoeing and visit the UNESCO-classified 7th century Abbaye St-Pierre de Moissac with its wonderfully preserved cloisters and chapel. This evening, perhaps after a game of boules, we stroll ashore to savour regional specialties at the excellent restaurant ‘Le Florentin’, in front of the spectacular entrance portal of the abbey.

Thursday We visit Castelsarrasin’s morning market this morning before starting our cruise, when Rosa rises up from the Tarn and turns west on the brick-lined canal through Moissac. After negotiating the swing bridge, we cruise between the placidly-flowing waters of the Garonne and the foothills of the Quercy massif, before mooring at Pommevic. After lunch, we visit the 18th century Château de Lamotte Bardigues where we are given a private guided tour by the resident Countess. At the end of the tour we are even invited to take tea with her in the private apartments, as she explains to us her family’s famous association with the Kings of France.  Before returning to Rosa we will see the 15th century hillside village of Auvillar, as well as touring the old “Bastide” town of Valence d’Agen, with its Palladian canal side public wash-house and arcaded market place. Dinner on board.

Bardigues 5 Château de Lamotte interieur
Château de Lamotte interieur
Bardigues 4 Château de Lamotte
Château de Lamotte
Auvillar town Circular grain market
Circular grain market
Nérac castle Château de Nérac
Château de Nérac

Friday A leisurely morning cruise through the bucolic countryside to our final mooring at Boé. After lunch, we visit Domaine de Lapeyrade for a guided tour and private tastings of their esteemed Armagnac and Floc du Gascogne wines in delightful surroundings, before visiting the medieval town of Nérac and its castle, once home to Henry IV of France. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.

Saturday After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Toulouse.

Note The designated meeting and drop off point is Toulouse. On alternate weeks the cruise will be in the reverse direction. This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change. For more information about our Gascony cruise and pricing, please contact us.

Gascony region

Cruising the Gascony region in Southwest France on the Canal de Garonne between Agen and Montauban, passing through a veritable palette of colours and scents created by orchards and vineyards. We will visit historic fortified "bastides" such as Valence d'Agen, learn more about local artists and rural culture, and cruise by picturesque old villages and quaint farms. The captain will negotiate the 1000 foot aqueduct over the River Tarn at Moissac and the amazing inclined water plane at Montech. This itinerary includes tastings of foie gras, local fine wines and Armagnac, together with guided tours of the places where they are produced. Of course, as this cruise is near Bordeaux wine country, there will be plenty of opportunity to sample a part of France where good food and wine is a way of life.

Resources

Montech water slope - A remarkable inclined Water Plane an amazing feat of engineering that by-passes five locks and will raise vessels 43 feet all in one go.