Saint Louis

The Captain of the Saint Louis meets us in Toulouse (or possibly Bordeaux) at 3.00 p.m. at our pre-arranged meeting place, and we are driven to Boë which is just on the outskirts of Agen.  On arrival at the boat we settle in to our comfortable cabins, then after a short safety briefing there is a champagne reception followed by the first of many sumptuous dinners.

After breakfast, we cruise through the centre of the pretty city of Agen.  On leaving the city, we pass over the most remarkable aqueduct which takes us over the River Garonne – this is France’s longest masonry aqueduct.  We then descend a chain of four locks to arrive at a beautiful overgrown stretch of the canal which is nicknamed the “Amazon”.  At the end of our day’s cruise we moor in the pretty port of Serignac-sur-Garonne.  In the afternoon we are taken on an excursion to three fabulous mediaeval villages called Sainte Colombe, Bruch, and Clermont Dessous – the last village having a superb view across the Garonne valley.  We arrive back at the port in time to have a stroll through the village of Serignac before aperitifs and dinner.

In the morning we cruise through beautiful unspoiled countryside before arriving at the delightful port of Buzet-sur-Baïse.  After lunch, we are taken on an excursion to the beautiful town of Nérac on the River Baïse, where we visit the Château of King Henry IV and the old mediaeval quarter of the town with its Roman bridge.  Later, we are taken on a fabulous visit to an Armagnac producer, based in an old Benedictine monastery;  here we see the old chapel, where the Armagnac is aged, and we learn of the rich history of this property and the family that looks after it.

After breakfast, we are taken on a visit to a barrel-makers, where the owners of the works have set up a viewing platform over the shop floor, and we are treated to an almost ballet-like performance of highly organised craftsmen using very high technology and traditional skills.  This private visit is memorable, not least because of the charm and dedication to his craft of the owner who takes us round.  On our way back to the boat we call in on the famous Buzet wine producing cooperative.

 We have lunch on the sun-deck as we cruise down the canal, through the port of Damazan and under shady avenues of plane trees, to arrive at our port of Le Mas d’Agenais.  We stop at the astounding gem stone and fossil museum at La Falotte, where the owner explains the categories of his 7,000 exhibits in a fascinating way.  We then cruise further down the canal and moor for the night in the small country port of Villeton.

In the morning we cruise further down the canal to Le Mas d’Agenais.  Here the barge is moored, and the car is waiting for us to take us for a visit up to the town which is of Roman origin, and where we can see significent parts of the original Roman wall.  We admire the wooden market hall which was built in 1616, and we visit the church in which there is an original Rembrandt.  Later, we cruise further down the canal to arrive at the pretty “halte” of Caumont sur Garonne.  From there, we are taken by car to a presentation called “Gens de Garonne (the People of Garonne) which in a remarkable and unique way tells the story of the people living on the side of the Garonne River.

In the morning we head down the canal, cruising once again through superb countryside and under a canopy of trees.  We arrive at our destination, Meilhan sur Garonne.  In the afternoon we are taken by car to Castets en Dorthe, where the canal flows back into the River Garonne.  We marvel at the flood marks on the specially heightened lock house, and we admire the Chateau that overlooks the village.  From there we go to Langon, where we see a phenomenon of an entirely different era.  This is the Airbus loading yard where massive parts of the new A380 aircraft are collected at the end of their sea journey, before embarking on their land journey to Toulouse for final assembly. We then take a short car journey to Chateau Roquetaillade, which has been in the same family for the last seven hundred years.  The guided tour reveals some astonishing facts about this outstanding historical masterpiece.

After a leisurely breakfast our bags are loaded into the vehicle, we make our fond goodbyes to the crew, and we are taken back either to Toulouse for the onward journey.

Bordeaux is a beautiful city - not only is it full of classical and renaissance architecture (the historic centre is on the UNESCO list) it is also very smart and modern. It is the world capital of wine and has been famous for wine since the 8th Century. The riverside quays are called the ‘Port de la Lune’ because of the crescent moon shape of the river as it passes through Bordeaux.

Saint Louis’ own itinerary does not include Bordeaux (the river trip is governed by strong tides and is, frankly, not very interesting). Bordeaux is within an hour’s drive of Saint Louis’ westernmost mooring and guests can easily make arrangements to visit this historic and fascinating city before or after their holiday cruise.

A cruise holiday or vacation on the luxury hotel barge Saint Louis is bespoke, tailored to the interests and wishes of our guests. In addition to the ‘usual’ places often visited and noted above, there is the possibility of visiting one or other of the following (dependent of course on the constraints of time and practicality).

Other possible visits include:
The mediaeval bastide town of Vianne, with its protective fortified wall.

The Roman bridge and the Romanesque fortified mill at Barbaste

The superb Château at Cazeneuve

The wine centre of Duras, together with Château Duras

The Musée des Beaux Arts at Agen, home to a number of Goyas.

The cork museum at Mézin

The Lot Valley, with pretty towns such as Clairac

A producer of Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne, who for five generations has been working an estate that was built as a monastery.

The small town of Clairac, with one of the best examples of half-timbered houses.

The town of La Reole, with its 10th century Benedictine monastery overlooking the valley.

Bruch – a delightful Bastide village with many interesting features.

Chateau de Bonaguil– said to be the finest fortress in the whole of France.

*Saint Louis also operates an "Eastern Cruise route" from Agen to Toulouse. When you contact us to check availability, ask us for the exact cruise itinerary for the date you are interested in.