The is a
River in south-central and southwest
France .
The river arises on the flanks of
Puy De Sancy in the mountains of
Auvergne and flows generally west about 500 km in the
Limousin and
Périgord regions before it joins the
Gironde river which shares an
Estuary with the
Garonne river north of the city of
Bordeaux .
The Dordogne takes its name from the names of two torrential streams
called the
Dore and the Dogne that meet on the flanks of Puy de Sancy and join there to form the Dordogne River. (This is the traditional explanation of the origin of the name, ''la Dordogne,'' although there are those who dispute it.)
The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibits the phenomenon known as a
Tidal Bore .
The Valley of the Dordogne is quite beautiful. It attacts a great many visitors and contributes significantly to the region's
Tourism .
The main season for tourists in the Valley of the Dordogne is from June through September with July and August being high tide.
The ''
Départements '' of France through which the Dordogne River runs, together with some towns in those ''départements'' that are on or quite near the River, are as follows:
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Tributaries to the Dordogne River include the:
Aside from the usual activities such as tennis and golf available in many areas of France, there are a number of water-related activities related to the Dordogne River, including:
