Timeline

Origin and history

The Musée du vin et de la batellerie, housed in an old tavern in the port of Bergerac, was inaugurated in 1983 to celebrate the historic activities that shaped the city: the wine trade, the cooperage and the shipwork. Bergerac, located on the banks of the Dordogne, owes its expansion to its strategic position, promoting wine trade towards Northern Europe and river transport. The museum preserves tools, archives, ship models and objects related to these trades, illustrating their economic and cultural importance.

Organized on three floors, the museum first presents the history of the local cooperage and vineyard, with agricultural tools and documents on the evolution of the wine trade. The second floor is dedicated to viticulture, including an audiovisual projection. Finally, the third floor displays models of gabars (traditional vessels), photographs of the bridges of the Dordogne and shipbuilding tools. Rare pieces, such as a Coptic spur, are also visible. The museum also offers gabar walks on the river, restoring the atmosphere of the river exchanges of the past.

In 1993, the museum hosted a temporary exhibition entitled " Fonte et fer du Périgord", highlighting the local industrial heritage. This initiative led to the publication of a book. The museum remains a living testimony to the links between Bergerac, its river and its vineyard, three pillars of its historical identity. Open daily from mid-April to mid-November, it attracts visitors wishing to discover this artisanal and maritime heritage.

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