The Dordogne riverfront below the old town is where Bergerac's medieval and early modern wealth originated. For five centuries the town was the upper limit of navigation on the river, and casks of wine were loaded here onto the flat-bottomed gabarres that drifted down to Bordeaux on the current. The stone quay, the slipways, and several of the warehouses survive.
Today the embankment is a popular evening walk, with benches looking across to the wooded south bank. From April to October a small fleet of replica gabarres — the Gabarres de Bergerac — runs hour-long river cruises from the quay below the old town, with commentary on the river trade and views back at the medieval skyline. The riverbank also has the town's best stretch of public greenery, with picnic tables under the plane trees.