Source de la Dordogne (confluence de la Dore et de la Dogne)

Mont-Dore (Le Mont-Dore)

The Dordogne has not one source but two: it is born, on the northern slope of the Puy de Sancy, from the meeting of two torrents, the Dore and the Dogne, at an altitude of 1,366 m. The Dore descends from a glacial valley of the massif; the Sancy tourist office has it start at around 1,885 m, while Wikipedia mentions, for 1864, a source of the Dore at 1,694 m. The name seems to come from this union, but that is an illusion: according to both the tourist office and Wikipedia, ‘Dordogne’ comes from an ancient Durānius, ‘torrent, running water’, which became Dordonia in the 9th century; the resemblance to Dore and Dogne arose from a dissimilation of the syllables. Wikipedia also recalls a curiosity: at the confluence with the Chavanon, near Confolent-Port-Dieu, the Dordogne had run 39 km against 54 for the Chavanon, but its flow was greater, hence its primacy. The river then passes through Le Mont-Dore and La Bourboule, crosses the gorges d'Avèze and joins the Garonne at the Bec d'Ambès after 483 km. No legend of the source is reported in the sources consulted.

Getting there: From Le Mont-Dore, D 983 to the foot of the Puy de Sancy, then GR 4E (yellow waymarks): about 20 minutes' easy walk. The site is not accessible when the ski resort is open. Coordinates: OpenStreetMap node ‘Source de la Dordogne’, consistent to within 200 m with the itinerary point of the tourist office.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound