Discover Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière

Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière offers several points of interest to help you plan a stay: prehistoric history, pre-Romanesque heritage, protected natural areas, hiking trails and a winery visit available by appointment only. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, you can choose what to focus on based on whether you’re most interested in heritage, nature, a particular hiking route or wine.

Heritage and prehistory

The Ermitage Saint-Aubin is a pre-Romanesque hermitage in the form of a cave or a space excavated into the rock. In places, it is lined with small-format masonry and layers of brick. It was listed as a historic monument by decree on 24 December 1925.

The Église de Saint-Germain-de-La-Rivière houses two wooden statues from the 13th century: a seated woman and a standing bishop. The stone cemetery cross dates from the 16th century and was classified as a historic monument by decree on 9 September 1905. These dates should be distinguished: the centuries indicate when the artworks and the cross were made, while 1905 and 1925 date their classification or listing as historic monuments.

Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière is also associated with the discovery of the rich prehistoric burial of a young woman. Known as the Dame de Saint-Germain, her grave is considered to be 16,000 years old and was discovered in 1934. An information area has been set up at the site associated with the Dame. This time period reaches far earlier than the architectural and artistic monuments, giving the area another layer of history.

Hiking trails and route details

The Chemin du patrimoine de St Germain la Rivière is an easy 7.18-kilometre walk, with an estimated duration of 2 hours and 20 minutes. It leads to the Espace de la Dame de Saint Germain. The trail is marked with yellow arrows on a blue background. Before setting out, check the current trail conditions and markings.

The Boucle du Petit Chartron can be extended by 2 kilometres to the Port du Petit Chartron, from where you can see the Dordogne. The 2 kilometres refer to the extension, not the entire loop. The two routes therefore provide different planning details: an estimated duration for the Chemin and an additional section for the Boucle.

Nature at Étang de Tourenne and Les Palus

Étang de Tourenne is a Natura 2000 site and serves as an important feeding area for bats from the many underground quarries in Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière. Les Palus has rare and diverse flora, including nationally protected species; the area is also an important biodiversity reserve in the Dordogne Valley. These natural areas have different highlights: Étang de Tourenne is important as a feeding area for bats, while Les Palus stands out for its plant diversity and species protection.

The Office de Tourisme du Fronsadais is located at Étang de Tourenne near Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière. There is a 2.5-hectare park, a children’s playground, picnic tables and several accessible hiking trails. In addition to nature and hiking, visitors to the Étang can also find practical amenities for spending time outdoors.

Wine visits and environmental education

Château l’Escarderie offers guided tours by appointment only. The visit includes the winery building dating from the mid-19th century, the winemaking cellar and the ageing cellar, followed by a tasting in the tasting room. The experience combines the history of the building with insights into winemaking and ageing, and concludes with a tasting.

Ferme pédagogique l’Empreinte offers something different: animal-assisted activities with donkeys, horses, goats, rabbits and chickens. Environmental education workshops for children and adults cover fauna and flora, life cycles, compost, permaculture and wetlands. While a hike focuses on the route and landscape, the workshops explore nature and life cycles.

Discover more destinations: Gans, La Rivière, Cours-De-Monségur, Belvès-De-Castillon, Aubie-Et-Espessas, Saint-Laurent-Des-Combes, Bruges, Castets En Dorthe.

For the broader travel overview: Gironde.