One of the staging points for the river cruise ships

Libourne

This is one of the main Bastion gates into the original town overlooking the river.

Libourne is Medieval town, originally a Bastion, fortified by the British during their occupation due its strategic location at the confluence of Isle and Dordogne Rivers, through which goods were imported and exported between England and France. More importantly today, it is regarded as the wine-making capital of Northern Gironde and is close to the St Emilion and Pomerol, two of the most famous wine making regions in Bordeaux.  

The town and surrounding area has a population of around 25,000 and its riches can be seen by the quality of the buildings, particularly in the town square. When we visited, there was a market and overall, it is a more lively town compared to those in the immediate area.

 

The busy town square on market day. The buildings are a mixture of medieval on the right and Belle Epoque.

Town Hall

Originally, buildings were taxed on enclosed ground floor area, so they were designed with arcades with larger floors above. The advantage of these designs was to keep the wind and rain off the goods on display and a covered place to walk.

You can have any colour you like as long as it is not black.

The main shopping street with an artistic aspect

The sculptor had a vision, but I have no idea what this is supposed to mean.