The best walks and hikes around Moncrabeau

The Château Henri IV of Nérac, former residence of the lords of Albret, bears witness to the city's rich Renaissance past. Overlooking the Baïse, it was one of the living places of the future King Henri IV and remains today a must-see to discover the history of Albret.

This cloisters was built at the beginning of the 16th century and is attached to the Saint-Pierre Cathedral.

The statue of D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The statue was created by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli and erected here in the heart of the town in 2010 in honor of d’Artagnan who was born in this area in 1611 and joined the Musketeers in 1632.

The Baïse River Discovery Trail is very pleasant and very bucolic. The Baïse has been a communication and navigation route since the Middle Ages. Barges (gabarres) or bachots (bachots) traveled down the river to Agen, transporting agricultural goods, wheat, wine, Armagnac, timber, and more. Twenty-one locks are located along its length. Today, it is used by unlicensed boats and converted barges. You will pass Flaran Abbey, a superb Cistercian building founded in 1151 and very well preserved. This trail along the Baïse is very well laid out; I even found dry toilets just before Valence-sur-Baïse, next to a picnic area. Bravo again!

Condom, a former episcopal city crossed by the Baïse River, is renowned for its Saint-Pierre Cathedral and its Armagnac-related past. In front of the cathedral stands the famous statue of the Four Musketeers (D'Artagnan and his companions), a tribute to Alexandre Dumas' novel and the famous captain's Gascon roots.

A primitive building dedicated to Saint Mark existed from the medieval period. It was destroyed by the Protestants in 1562. The current church succeeded it in 1868, and was designed by the architect Verdier. It is dedicated to Our Lady. In the shape of a Latin cross, it has a single ribbed vault. The bell tower, perched on the ridge of the west facade, is topped with a long spire. Above the portal, the facade is pierced by three lancet stained-glass windows. It is adorned with two pinnacles.

A primitive building was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096. It was the priory church of the Benedictines. It became a parish church after the priory was sold in 1666. In 1697, the bell tower collapsed. In 1749, the church was in danger of collapse. The current church was rebuilt between 1758 and 1785. During the Revolution, the church became the "supreme temple." In 1855, the bell towers were added and the sacristy was rebuilt. The church, in the shape of a Latin cross, includes a nave. Its façade is adorned with four fluted pilasters with Ionic capitals supporting a triangular pediment. The stained-glass windows are from the 19th century. They depict scenes from the life of Saint Joseph, the Agony of Christ, scenes from the life of the Virgin, Pentecost, Saint Louis, Saint John the Baptist, and the Immaculate Conception. The prophets and kings of Israel can be seen: Abraham, Daniel, Abel, Noah, Moses, Elijah, Aaron, Melchizedek, sibyls, as well as a Virgin and Child, a Pietà, and the coat of arms of Abbot de Vivie.

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.