The Garonne River

About the Garonne

UNESCO Heritage Sites

River Cruise Your Way custom planned vacation itinerary

Ports-of-Call on the Garonne River

Here you can find a list of some of the more common river cruise ports along the Garonne River as it flows through Europe. These may be the most common, but there may be others that can be found on select river cruises. Your River Cruise Artist can provide you with the full itinerary and all ports for any river cruise that you may be interested in, on any river cruise operator. Explore the Garonne River further and learn more about it’s ports-of-call.

Arcachon Basin

France

Arcachon is a town in the southwestern French on the southern side of the Arcachon Basin. It is a popular swimming destination on the Atlantic coast 34 miles southwest of the city of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a unique sandy beach and a mild climate. Arcachon is known for the ‘Arcachonnaise’, the local name for an Arcachon villa, the architectural style of many of the older houses built there. The Arcachon Villas are in a Victorian style that is now considered to be charming. With its pleasant climate and alleged healing power of its waters, Arcachon and the Arcachon basin is home to a large senior population.

Blaye

France

Blaye is located on the right bank of the Gironde estuary near the confluence with the Dordogne River and only 35 miles north of Bordeaux. The town features a citadel built by Vauban on a rocky shore of the river, which contains the ruins of a medieval castle, Château des Rudel. Here you will also find the ruins of Basilica of Saint-Romain which holds the tomb of Charibert II, King of Aquitaine, and son of Clotaire II. Nearby, Fort Paté, on an island in the river, and Fort Médoc on its left bank, completed the 17th century, defenses or Bordeaux by Vauban. The citadel of Blaye, its city walls, Fort Paté and Fort Médoc were listed in 2008 as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as part of the “Fortifications of Vauban” group.

Bordeaux

France

Bordeaux, often referred to as ‘Little Paris’, was ruled by the English for a very long period of history, which is why Bordeaux today still seems to have a liberal and cultural ‘English Flair’. The cultural, artistic, and music scenes are very vibrant in Bordeaux. Bordeaux is a level city near the Atlantic sea coast, built on the banks of the Garonne River. It is the largest French city by geographical area, and even one of the largest in Europe. The Garonne River merges a a few miles south of Bordeaux with another river, the Dordogne River, which together form the Gironde Estuary, which is biggest estuary in France, that leads to the Atlantic Ocean. Bordeaux is packed with historical sites and museums. Don’t forget to stroll down Saint-Catherine Pedestrian Street to enjoy the scenery.

Cadillac

France

Cadillac is a historical town in the Gironde region in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France, along the Garonne River. It is known for its local production of sweet dessert wines under the Cadillac AOC designation. Cadillac was founded in 1280 to serve as a river port for the castle of Benauges by the lord of the castle, Jean I de Grailly, and is now home to the imposing Château des Ducs d’Épernon. The name Cadillac was adopted by Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who was also the founder of Detroit and once Governor of Louisiana when he emigrated to the United States. The Cadillac division of General Motors, and Cadillac, Michigan are named after him.

Your Garonne River Cruise Awaits!

Are you ready to start planning your Garonne River Cruise Vacation Your Way? A River Cruise Artist at River Cruise Your Way is ready to be your vacation concierge. Contact us today at 1-800-259-7612 or use the form below and let us know when it is most convenient to call you, we will confirm via e-mail, and then reach out at the agreed upon time and date.