Protected nature : Eco Tourism in the Aquitaine : A hundred reasons why this is the best place in Europe to come spend your Summer Holiday in 2008!

On a wonderful site, Aquitaine - The South at its best which is about this region, there is an excellent article on Eco-Tourism in France. France has always been at the forefront of eco-tourism and managing the fine balance between being one of the most visited and popular tourist destinations of Europe, and preserving the exquisite nature and unique sites that make it so. Aquitaine, France’s third-biggest region, has a multitude of protected natural zones and offers a great variety of sites dedicated to green tourism.

Starting with… the ocean blue! The Atlantic runs for 250 km along the western side of Aquitaine, with endless beaches of fine sand.

Surfers, cyclists, enthusiasts of thalassotherapy and ornithology can all enjoy the sea air in all seasons. The MIACA (an inter-ministerial commission for the development of the Atlantic coastline) has protected this area since 1967.

Heading east from the ocean, you cross the immense pine forest running from the Medoc down to the Landes and the Basque Country, covering a triangle of land 150 km wide and 200 km long.

It is in this area that lies the Landes de Gascogne Regional Nature Park, and in it, the Maison de la Nature of the Bay of Arcachon (including Le Teich Ornithological Park), the three sites of the Ecomuseum in Marquèze, Moustey and Luxey, and a large number of nature reserves.

Educational workshops, rides along the cycling tracks or sailing on the natural lakes are all good ways of discovering this area’s many riches.

Another big “green” area is the Dordogne forestland. In the north of this département, Green Périgord is home to the Aquitaine section of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Nature Park.
Here you will find a multitude of tree species, including oak, the preferred home of the famous Périgord truffles. Prehistoric Man probably enjoyed this delicacy 400,000 years ago…

Much further south, don your snowshoes and climb the peaks of the Pyrenees. This is the realm of hiking, fishing and winter sports. Certain plant and animal species often find their last refuge in the Pyrenees National Park.

Mountains are of course the place where water starts to flow… Torrents - ideal for fishing and white-water sports – which then become rivers and canals. A whole network of inland waterways provide an invitation for barge trips.

In both the Pyrenees and the Périgord area, natural caves display the underground riches of Aquitaine.

Lastly, we should not forget the presence all over Aquitaine of parks and gardens, both contemporary and traditional.

So many sites to discover; so many ways of visiting the beautiful region of Aquitaine.



Looking for accommodation in the Aquitaine? Look no further:

An idyllic stay in a French chateau on the banks of the Dordogne River

A beautiful apartment in an historic stone building centrally located in Bordeaux

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Chateau Lalinde : The perfect venue for your event

Relocation Orientation in France

Picnics in the Dordogne

The regret with which too many tourists leave this wonderful and diverse part of La Belle France, is that they had not planned on enough time in the region. Not only are there a myriad of sites to visit -- each in its own right a must-see --, castles to admire, restaurants to enjoy, bastides to wander around in, caves to explore, there is the best cycling to be had (according to recent seasoned cyclists from Canada and visitors to Chateau Lalinde: "streets (forgive the pun) ahead of anything that the overcrowded Tuscany has to offer!"), the best hiking and trailing to be done, golfing, canoeing, hot air ballooning........ the list goes on, but then there are also those hidden little treasures -- the ones one rarely plan for, but which, if you are lucky, just happens...........

Yes! One of the great joys for me of living in such a beautiful countryside as this, are the picnics! Any day, any time, any occasion is a good one on which to have a picnic -- there are so many little spots and perfect little places to throw down the blanket, open the champagne, unpack the basket and enjoy communing with nature.
And when better than on a late autumn day? Who better with than a couple of good friends from Nantes? And where better than at the foot of the imposing Beynac castle with the majestic Dordogne River flowing past below and a range of forests and other chateaux to admire?


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Chateau Lalinde : The perfect venue for your event

Relocation Orientation in France

The Canal of Lalinde : A beautiful bit of history

The Canal de Lalinde is probably one of the best little gems of the Dordogne River.

Because the stretch of river that passes Lalinde is the only part of the Dordogne River which, due to a natural stone weir and three rapids, the Gratusse, the Gratussou and the Grand Thoret is too shallow for boat traffic -- and in particular the gabares flat bottomed boats that used to transport goods from the market in Sarlat down the river to Bergerac and further to Bordeaux, it was decided in 1840 to build this excellent engineering feat. By all accounts even back in 1852, 29,750 tonnes of goods passed along the canal between markets, by 1858 as much as 46,000 tonnes and a mere two years later, in 1860, no less than 200,000 tonnes!.

The Canal stretches from Mausac to Tuilières with three locks along its 15 kilometers, which are still maintained even though no boat traffic goes slong the canal any longer. The lock at Tuilières comprise of a double set of three locks -- quite a remarkable sight! At Sainte-Capraize one can also see a special area where the canal crosses a small bridge.

During the sixties, after a fatal accident at Port-de-Couze during the Tour de France, the canal was closed for boat traffic.

Today the canal is a favourite spot for the fishermen - and women of the area -- apparently the fishing is very good, and any fisherman will tell you that in such exquisite surroundings, with its tunnel of Plane trees and soft golden reflections on the still water, the fishing is good even if the fist did not bite!
From time to time, if you are lucky, you may also see a team of scullers use the canal for their training, and of course cyclists and walkers and joggers have long ago discovered the beauty of this spot.


Related Links: Scenes on the Canal de Lalinde
Fishing in the Dordogne
Tuilières Barrage
Gabares: Throw-away boats
Fishing in France


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Chateau Lalinde : The perfect venue for your event

Relocation Orientation in France

Tour de France in the Dordogne : C'est parti!

The Tour de France, the arduous and challenging annual cycle race of 3639km, is about to begin, and this year it will come right through the Dordogne so everyone on holiday in France will have an opportunity to see this great annual event first hand! On 27 July the State 18 is between Angouleme and Cahors, going through some of the most spectacular Perigord scenery:
These are the towns they will be whizzing through on their cycles: (in reverse order!)
Soyaux, Gardes le Pontaroux, Mareuil, Vieux Mareuil, Brantome (between 15h42 and 16h01), Chateau l'Eveque, Trelissac, Perigeux (between 15h09 and 15h24), St Laurent sur Manoire, La Douze, Journiac, Le Bugue, St Cyprien, Beynac, Cazenac, La Roque, Gageac, St Martial de Nabirat, Cahors.

Stage details:
Stage No: Date: Distance:
Prologue Time Trial July 7th London 8 km
Stage 1 July 8th London > Canterbury 203 km
Stage 2 July 9th Dunkirk > Gand 167 km
Stage 3 July 10th Waregem > - Compiègne 236 km
Stage 4 July 11th Villers-Cotterêts > Joigny 190 km
Stage 5 July 12th Chablis > Autun 184 km
Stage 6 July 13th Semur-en-Auxois > Bourg-en-Bresse 200 km
Stage 7 July 14th Bourg-en-Bresse > Le-Grand-Bornand 197 km
Stage 8 July 15th Le-Grand-Bornand >- Tignes 165 km
Rest Day July 16th (Rest Day)
Stage 9 July 17th Val-d’Isère > Briançon 161 km
Stage 10 July 18th Tallard > Marseille 229 km
Stage 11 July 19th Marseille > Montpellier 180 km
Stage 12 July 20th Montpellier > Castres 179 km
Stage 13 (Time Trial) July 21st Albi > Albi 54 km
Stage 14 July 22nd Mazamet > Plateau-de-Beille 197 km
Stage 15 July 23rd Foix > Loudenvielle-Le Louron 196 km
Rest Day July 24th (Rest Day)
Stage 16 July 25th Orthez > Gourette - Col d’Aubisque 218 km
Stage 17 July 26th Pau > Castelsarrasin 188 km
Stage 18 July 27th Cahors > Angoulême 210 km
Stage 19 (Time Trial) July 28th Cognac > Angoulême 55 km
Stage 20 July 29th Marcoussis > Paris Champs-Élysées 130 km

The main climbs:
Stage 7 Stage 8
Côte de Corlier 5.9 km at 5.5%
Côte des Petits-Bois 7.1 km at 4.4%
Côte Peguin 4.3 km at 4.1%
Col de la Colombière 16 km at 6.7% Col du Marais 3.8 km at 4.1%
Côte du Bouchet-Mont-Charvin 1.6 km at 7.6%
Col de Tamié 9.5 km at 4%
Cormet de Roselend 19.9 km at 6%
Montée de Hauteville 15.3 km at 4.7%
Le Lac (Tignes) 17.9 km at 5.5%
Stage 9 Stage 14

Col de l’Iseran 15 km at 6%
Col du Télégraphe 12 km at 6.7%
Col du Galibier 17.5 km at 6.9%
Côte de Sarraille 9 km at a 5.2%
Port de Pailhères 16.8 km at 7.2%
Plateau-de-Beille 15.9 km at 7.9%
Stage 15 Stage 16
Col de Port 11.4 km at a 5.3%
Col de Portet d’Aspet 5.7 km at 6.9%
Col de Menté 7 km at 8.1%
Port de Balès 19.2 km at 6.2%
Col de Peyresourde 9.7 km at 7.8%

Col de Larraut 14.2 km at 8%
Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin 14 km at 5.2%
Col de Marie-Blanque 9.3 km at 7.7%
Col d’Aubisque 16.4 km at 6.9%



Click on Link:

Chateau Lalinde : The perfect venue for your event

Relocation Orientation in France