33,844 views
The Ciron is a small, quiet river, south of Bordeaux, which would almost go unnoticed as it likes to be discreet, and yet this watercourse is exceptionally rich, to the point of being described by naturalists as the Noah's Ark of biodiversity. Taking its source in the north of the Landes, the Ciron travels a hundred kilometers before flowing into the Garonne. With our guests, we will discover little-known treasures, the oldest forest in France, sumptuous castles, mills, famous vineyards but above all the unconditional love that the women and men of this region have for this treasure threatened by human activities. A reflection on our relationship with nature... Alexandra Quenu, Natura 2000 facilitator at the Ciron Watershed Development Union takes us to discover the richness of this watercourse. Fauna, flora, everything here is exceptional. With Max Laprie, a river technician, we discover, for example, the European pond turtles, a very rare species that indicates the quality of the water. The Ciron has another particularity: it is at the origin of a microclimate that gave rise to a beech forest unique in France studied by Rémy Petit of the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA). Men have always known how to take advantage of this watercourse. With Jean Michel Solans, a local historian, we discover the importance of the mills. But the Ciron, nicknamed "the river of castles", is also an extraordinary castral heritage. Example with the Château de Cazeneuve. Henri IV inherited it in 1572, the year of his marriage to Marguerite de France nicknamed "Queen Margot". And it was in Cazeneuve that he assigned her to residence while awaiting the annulment of their marriage. Frivolous and light-hearted by nature, the Queen was known for her romantic rendezvous on the banks of the Ciron, and she will forever mark this place with her memory. We end our journey in the Sauternes and Barsac vineyards. Bérénice Lurton, from Château Climens, explains to us why sweet wines owe everything to the Ciron. Cold waters, warm waters: the Ciron flows into the Garonne and every autumn morning the fog rises in the valley, invades the vineyard and wets the ripe grapes. In the afternoon the sun dries them. From this mechanical alternation is born the miracle of noble rot which gives these wines concentration and aromatic abundance. #capsudouest All the news in Nouvelle-Aquitaine ► http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.f... ► http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.f... ► http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.f... Join our Facebook community ► / france3aquitaine ► / france3limousin ► / france3poitoucharentes Follow us on Twitter ► / f3aquitaine ► / f3limousin ► / f3poitouchtes Download the France 3 Régions application ► http://bit.ly/1FPo7Ga Subscribe to our newsletter ► http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.f...