- Dordogne (river)
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Dordogne 
The Dordogne in Périgord.Origin Massif Central Mouth Garonne
45°2′29″N 0°36′24″W / 45.04139°N 0.60667°WCoordinates: 45°2′29″N 0°36′24″W / 45.04139°N 0.60667°WBasin countries France Length 483 km Source elevation 1,720 m Avg. discharge 450 m³/s Basin area 23,870 km² - See also Dordogne département.
The Dordogne (Occitan: Dordonha) is a river in south-central and southwest France.
Contents
Name
Contrary to appearances, the name of the Dordogne is not a recent word[1] resulting from the names of the Dore and the Dogne. It comes from an ancient Durānius,[2] dérived from a Pre-Celtic root dur-, dor- (as the Durance).
The medieval forms adopted a redoubled suffix -ononia[3] : Dorononia fluvius[4] (sixth century), Dornonia (eighth century) that evolves in Dordonia (ninth century) by a phenomenon of dissimilation, giving the impression of an etymology *Dore-Dogne.
Geography
Location of Dordogne River
The river rises on the flanks of Puy de Sancy (1 885 m) in the mountains of Auvergne, from the confluence of two small torrents above the town of Mont-Dore: the Dore[5] and the Dogne. It flows generally west about 500 km through the Limousin and Périgord regions before flowing into the Gironde, its common estuary with the Garonne, at the "Ambès beak", in the north of the city of Bordeaux.
Nature
The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibits the phenomenon known as a tidal bore.[6]
The upper valley of the Dordogne is a series of deep gorges. The cliffs, steep banks, fast flowing water and high bridges attract both walkers and drivers. In several places the river is dammed to form long, deep lakes. Camp sites and holiday homes have proliferated wherever the valley floor is wide enough to accommodate them
Below Argentat and around Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, the valley widens to accommodate fertile farmland, well-watered pasture and orchards. In the towns, which are major tourist attractions because of their history and architecture, the quaysides are lined with eating and drinking places. In Périgord, the valley widens further to encompass one of France's main gastronomic regions, with vineyards, poultry farms and truffle-rich woodlands.
The main season for tourism in the Valley of the Dordogne is from June to September with July and August being high season. The lifestyle and culture of the Dordogne valley attracts both visitors and incomers from all over France, but also from many other countries, particularly Britain and Germany.
Course
The départements of France through which the Dordogne River runs, together with some towns in those départements that are on or quite near the River, are as follows:
- The département of Puy-de-Dôme - the towns of Mont-Dore (near the source of the River), La Bourboule
- The département of Corrèze - the towns of Argentat, Bort-les-Orgues, and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
- The département of Lot - The towns of Souillac, Pinsac, Lacave, Meyronne, Creysse, Montvalent, Gluges, Floirac, Carennac Gintrac, Tauriac and Prudhomat
- The département of Dordogne - The towns of Beynac-et-Cazenac, Sarlat, Saint-Cyprien, and Bergerac
- The département of Gironde - the towns of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande and Libourne
Tributaries
Dordogne River in the Périgord
Main tributaries from source to mouth:
- (R) Chavanon
- (L) Rhue River
- (R) Diège
- (L) Sumène
- (R) Triouzoune
- (L) Auze
- (R) Luzège
- (R) Doustre
- (L) Maronne
- (L) Cère
- (R) Sourdoire
- (L) Ouysse
- (L) Céou
- (R) Vézère along which many of the great prehistoric caves of Southwest France are located
- (R) Isle
- (L) Laurence
N.B. : (R) = right tributary; (L) = left tributary
Activities on the River
Aside from the usual activities such as tennis and golf available in many areas of France, there are a number of water-related activities related to the Dordogne River, including:
- Fishing, an age-old pastime for the locals and for visitors
- Canoeing and kayaking, very popular (canoes & kayaks are easy to rent)
- Boating in a Gabare (a traditional skiff peculiar to the Dordogne)
- Rafting
- Swimming
- Motorboating
- Sailing
- Rowing and sculling
- Waterskiing
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Next To Dordogne.
Sources
- ^ as the Midouze, a portmanteau that fuses the names of its two precursors, the Midou and the Douze.
- ^ Sidonius Apollinaris
- ^ influenced by the suffix -onna, frequent in river names, in France.
- ^ Gregory of Tours
- ^ Not to be confused with the Dore.
- ^ Tidal bores, Mascaret, Pororoca (1). Myths, Fables and Reality !!!
- Entry to the Dordogne in Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre
- The Best of Dordogne Guide to tourism in the Valley of the Dordogne (the Périgord)
- http://www.geoportail.fr
- The Dordogne at the Sandre database
- The Dordogne Valley in the Lot department (website in french)
- Chambres d'Hotes (B&B) on the Dordogne River (website in english and french)
Categories:- Rivers of France
- Dordogne basin
- Corrèze
- Dordogne
- Gironde
- Lot
- Puy-de-Dôme
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