Our towns and villages conceal many treasures... which are often ignored or avoided, hidden alongside the routes we take, far from the "direct" routes.
Mortagne sur Gironde
Loop
Hard coating (tar, cement, floor)
Marking "Detour Trails"
Autumn, Summer, Winter, Spring
This walk allows you to discover the built and natural heritage of the town through its paths and marshes, leading from the estuary to the cliffs. From the old flour mill converted into a flea market, the postcard museum retracing the history of Mortagne-sur-Gironde, the Belvedere viewpoint or even the St Martial hermitage, so many picturesque and atypical places that illustrate the richness of the landscapes.
Left bank of the port - Fisherman's Quay. Take a tour of the water basin and its pleasure boats.
Step 2: The old flour mills
In the 300th century, two flour mills were established in the port (Parias and Vérat). Taking advantage of the development of the port, Pierre Vérat abandoned his highland windmills to create an industrial and port flour mill. Continuing the walk, we discover the postcard museum which traces the history of the town. The collection includes nearly XNUMX reproductions retracing the history of the town in images, its small and large events, its history, its economic activity and its inhabitants.
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Step 3: The Mortagne channel
We continue our journey along the Mortagne channel to the edge of the Gironde estuary. Unique viewpoint from the belvedere: we are at the end of the world!
Return to the starting point at the fishermen's quay.
If the port of Mortagne has long been a sturgeon fishing port, it is famous today for pibale and lean fishing. Traditionally, lean was fished by ear when the fish growls during spawning.
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Step 4: The Saint-Martial hermitage
Estuary lambs graze on the marshes bordering the estuary from March to November.
Return to the port via the path at the foot of the cliffs.
According to legend, the hermitage was inhabited by monks in the 76th century. The site would have been occupied two centuries earlier by Saint-Martial. On the pilgrims' route to Santiago de Compostela, the monks took them by boat to the Médoc. The turret which overlooks it would have served as a landmark, a bell tower and a windmill. It was also from this turret that access to the hermitage was possible via a staircase dug into the rock with XNUMX steps. Its entrance is today via a footbridge on the Fondevine river.
