Country:
City:
Head to La Réole station, between Langon and Marmande. There is a large enough car park to allow you to park very close to the station.
Take the train towards Agen. Check the timetables carefully as there aren’t many trains (see the practical information section).
Get off the train at Marmande. The station exit leads onto Place du 11 novembre 1918.
(S) Cross the square and take Boulevard Raymond Fourcade on your right. Follow this wide boulevard to the bridge crossing the Garonne. This boulevard is successively named Boulevard Meyniel, then Avenue Paul Gabarra.
Just before the bridge crossing the Garonne, turn right onto Chemin du Roc, following the Garonne with it on your left.
(1) At the sewage treatment plant, turn right onto Chemin de Thivras, then, after about 200 m, turn left onto the So Vélo cycle path. This leads back towards the Garonne and crosses it via the old railway bridge. Just before Sauteyron, the cycle path crosses the Tisouenque, a small stream. About 800 m further on, the cycle path joins Route des Boys. Turn right.
Follow this cycle route, which features eight bridges after the one over the Garonne. The last bridge crosses the Garonne’s side canal.
(2) About 300 m after this bridge (at a place called La Teinture), take the road on the right. At the next junction, turn right again. Follow this small road until you cross the Garonne Side Canal again. There, stay on the path that runs directly alongside the canal.
At the first lock, cross the road and continue along the canal, taking the path opposite. A little further on, you’ll come to a second lock. Continue along the canal.
(3) At the sewage treatment plant, turn left and cross the bridge to reach the left bank of the canal. Boats are moored in this small harbour. Turn right and continue along the left bank.
(4) At the next bridge, cross back over to the right bank of the canal and follow it, turning left. Just before a left-hand bend in the canal, you’ll come to the village of Hure. Continue along the canal to the old Moulin de l’Auriole and the lock, then carry on for about 300 metres.
(5) Cross the canal again to return to the left bank. Follow the canal to a leisure centre.
(6) Go round the lake at the leisure centre to rejoin the canal. Follow the canal to the Museum of Crafts and Matchstick Monuments, which you are of course welcome to visit.
(7) Just after the museum, take the bridge on the right to cross the canal and leave it behind for good. Take the path roughly opposite the bridge and join the road on the other side of the embankment.
(8) Take this road on the left and follow it to the second bridge spanning the Garonne at a place called Le Rouergue.
(9) Take this bridge to cross the Garonne and reach La Réole. Turn right just after the bridge to return to the car park at La Réole station.
