1. The Bergerac old bridge (The Salvette quays)

The sheer scale of the Salvette quays is a reminder of Bergerac’s river trading past and the major role played by the inland waterways transport in the former economy of the town.

Built in 1838, this harbour welcomed an annual traffic of more than 15,000 tons, of a market value of around 3.5 million francs. It registered nearly 1500 boat movements per year and employed more than 200 people.

In the middle of the 19th century, exportation of Bergerac wines, wood for producing barrels, both local and from the high country of the Correze dominated, as in the past, the down river boat traffic which was, in tonnage, very clearly superior to that of the up stream.