The medieval city of Saint-Macaire forms the historic lock of the Bordeaux region on the Garonne, at the point where the tide runs out. Remarkable urban ensemble, it is a listed site since 1965 with many listed or registered buildings. Of the monastery remains the south wing of the cloister overlooking the ramparts and punctuated with monolithic columns. The secular pole of the market town is without question the remarkable arcaded square of Mercadiou, surrounded by houses dating from the 13th and 14th centuries on the one hand, and the 15th and 16th centuries on the other.
