Dame Garonne
Founding river of the city, "Garonne", as the Agenais say, saw its banks occupied and active from antiquity.
River of more than 500 km, the Garonne takes its source in the Pyrenees and flows into the Atlantic Ocean by the estuary of the Gironde. Founding river of the city, "Garonne", as the Agenais say, saw its banks occupied and active from antiquity.
The river is a major transport route for freight and passengers between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic until the beginning of the 19th century. Relations between Agen and "Garonne" have always oscillated between love and animosity. The waterway was the source of the vitality of the city, and the river brought misery and desolation during devastating floods. In order to protect itself from the whims of the river, Agen was surrounded by ramparts, dikes and holds. Controlled by the development of the railway and then the automobile, the economic activity linked to the inland waterways slumped and the city gradually turned its back on its river. Today, the ancestral link between the river and the city and its inhabitants is revived thanks to the upgrading of the banks. The facilities create a real place for walking and entertainment. A circuit of 2.8 km along the two banks makes it possible to discover the history of "Dame Garonne" through the ages.
The river is a major transport route for freight and passengers between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic until the beginning of the 19th century. Relations between Agen and "Garonne" have always oscillated between love and animosity. The waterway was the source of the vitality of the city, and the river brought misery and desolation during devastating floods. In order to protect itself from the whims of the river, Agen was surrounded by ramparts, dikes and holds. Controlled by the development of the railway and then the automobile, the economic activity linked to the inland waterways slumped and the city gradually turned its back on its river. Today, the ancestral link between the river and the city and its inhabitants is revived thanks to the upgrading of the banks. The facilities create a real place for walking and entertainment. A circuit of 2.8 km along the two banks makes it possible to discover the history of "Dame Garonne" through the ages.