Attractions and Places To See around Fréchou - Top 19

The history of the former royal warren is deeply linked to the family of Henry IV, but its legacy dates back to Antiquity. During the Gallo-Roman period, in the 4th or 5th century, a villa stood on the banks of the Baïse River. Excavations conducted in 1832 uncovered numerous mosaics, attesting to the building's presence. Between these two periods, the park underwent numerous developments. At the beginning of the 16th century, Henry I of Albret acquired the land to create a warren and a garden at the foot of the château, accessible only to the royal family. When Henry IV and his wife, Marguerite de Valois, inherited the site, they created the current promenade, known as the "3,000 paces," which runs along the Baïse. But the Wars of Religion and the numerous floods of the river after the king's death would permanently damage the historical and natural heritage. Damaged by the numerous floods of the Baïse in 1909, the park became the first listed site in the Aquitaine region, which enabled the funding of work to ensure its preservation. In 2020, this classification was extended to the other bank, where the Bains du Roy are located.

Nérac is, like Amboise, a royal city insofar as the commune is the fief of the lords of Albret who became king of Navarre in the 15th century. It is also the epicentre of Protestantism. After the massacre of Saint Bartholomew, a treaty between the two religions was born in this city. This is the Edict of Nérac which restored rights for Protestants. It was signed on 28 February 1579 between King Henry III and the religionists. After the death of Henry III in 1589, the city lost its influence, because having no descendants, it was Henri de Navarre-Bourbon-Albret who became king of France under the name of Henri IV. It is then said that when the doors of Paris opened to Henry, those of fame closed for Nérac.

The visit to Nérac revolves around its navigable river, the Baïse. From the Saint-Nicolas church or the Petit Nérac viewpoint, you can see the port, the Old Bridge and the tanneries which today house an art gallery and restaurants. The walk takes place along the streets (Maison des Conferences, Château d'Henri IV and its museum) and in the Royal Park of La Garenne redesigned by Queen Margot, wife of Henri IV.

The Barbaste mill is located on the right bank of the Gélise, a thousand meters from its confluence with the Baïse, on the territory of the commune of Nérac, in Lot-et-Garonne, in New Aquitaine. Part of the dam facilities are located in the municipality of Barbaste.

The Baïse river is navigable over 62km from April 1st to November 1st. Beautiful, wild and relaxing, it lets us go with the flow. Its major asset: its tranquillity. Cruising speed is limited to 6km/h. Boaters cross Gascony at a slow pace, the departments of Gers and Lot-et-Garonne to stop over in the territories of Albret and Ténarèze. Nérac, one of the most beautiful river ports in France, welcomes you for a colorful stopover!

Built at the end of the 13th century and functioning as a mill, the structure also served as a fortified castle during the Wars of Religion. A function to which it seems more suited when we observe its towers and its imposing presence on the Gélise.

The Baïse is a fairly abundant river. The amount of water flowing into the catchment area is 285 millimeters per year, which is certainly slightly lower than the average for France as a whole for all the basins together (320  mm/year ), but clearly higher than most of the waterways of the Gers . The specific flow (or Qsp) reaches 9.0 liters per second and per square kilometer of basin.

During periods of low water, its course is maintained for irrigation and for drinking water supply and sanitation via the Neste Canal.