Bourg is a port of call on river cruises through Bordeaux wine country, with Scenic Cruises, AMA Waterways, and Viking River Cruises calling nearly year-round from March through December.
Avalon Artistry IIAvalon Waterways · docked in Bourg — track the ship live →
About The Port Of Bourg
Bourg rises on a rocky promontory overlooking the Dordogne River, its origins tracing to a 12th-century defensive château that grew over the centuries into a fortified village of narrow lanes, old moats, and stone bell towers. The setting, at a strategic bend where river traffic once passed toward Bordeaux, gave the town lasting military and commercial importance, and its compact core remains easy to explore on foot directly from the riverside.
Nearby, the town of Blaye guards the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers with a UNESCO-listed citadel built to defend Bordeaux from naval attack. Wandering its ramparts offers sweeping river views and a tangible sense of the region's fortified past. Together, the two towns present a quiet corner of southwestern France where history, water, and vineyard country meet within a short distance of one another.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Bourg.
Explore Bourg's Old Château Quarter
Trace the moats, alleyways, and stone bell towers of the 12th-century fortified village on foot directly from the riverside dock, an easy stroll through centuries of layered history.
Walk the Citadel Ramparts at Blaye
Head to nearby Blaye for its UNESCO-listed citadel, where the fortified walls deliver sweeping views over the Dordogne-Garonne confluence; a guided walking tour helps unpack the site's naval-defense history.
Trace the River Bend Views
Pause along Bourg's promontory to take in the strategic curve of the Dordogne once crowded with river traffic bound for Bordeaux, a scenic reminder of the town's old commercial role.
