Libourne: a unique and breathtakingly beautiful historical town, and a must-visit place at the heart of Bordeaux wines
Libourne is a former royal bastide, founded in 1270 under the orders of English King Henry III. It was the knight Sir Roger of Leyburn, who had recently been granted the honoured title of King’s Lieutenant, who was tasked with constructing the town (to replace the ancient Gallo-Roman port of Condatis). He even gave his name to the town.
Over the centuries, Leyburn was “Frenchified”, to eventually become Libourne.
Located at the meeting point of the Isle and the Dordogne, at the estuary of the Gironde, the town of Libourne lays the unique claim to being the first maritime navigation port on the Dordogne, almost 100km inland! Its truly one-of-a-kind positioning promoted overseas trading and the development of a thriving commerce town, where wine was the it-product, making it one of the most prosperous bastide towns in Aquitaine.
Back in the day, several ships set sail from Libourne to England, carrying barrels full of the region’s wine.
For the past few years, the town’s harbour-centred identity has been brought back into focus through the development of river tourism. Founded at the joining of two rivers, the town has become a meeting point in itself: for rivers, lands, languages, and people…
Today, the town has thrown open its gates to welcome you to explore it, delving into its unique history and breathtaking beauty!