Tourist offices and related websites

Creuse | Corrèze | Haute-Vienne

The Limousin region nestles in the very heart of central France, a largely undiscovered area of great natural beauty as well as a wealth of historic interest and colourful local tradition and architecture. Sometimes known as the French Lake District, its picturesque landscape descends from the foothills of the Massif Central to the east and is replete with waterfalls, placid lakes, dramatic gorges and expansive verdant forests, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts the year round. The départements of the Limousin are named after three of its many rivers: the Creuse, the Corrèze, and the Vienne, which all offer unlimited opportunities for water sports of all varieties: boating, swimming, windsurfing, and fishing. Golfers, cyclists, equestrians and other outdoor sports devotees will also find virtually unlimited facilities in the region.

There are picturesque and very beautiful small villages to be discovered throughout the Limousin, including several perennial candidates for the “plus beau village de France”. The region has an abundance of medieval, Gothic, and Romanesque churches, fortresses, and abbeys, offering a fascinating panorama of history and architectural interest. The modern world is also well represented in the lively towns of Limoges in the Haute-Vienne, Guéret in the Creuse, and Brive-la-Gaillarde in the Corrèze, with modern shopping and entertainment to accompany their rich and colourful historical and traditional backgrounds.

The Limousin is also home to a number of distinctive local industries: the Limousin beef cattle are renowned as a leading breed; the rich and fine white clay soil around Limoges finding its way into a beautiful and delicate style of porcelain; and a tradition of  fine embroidery centred in the town of Tulle, which reached its high point in the 17th century and is enjoying a current revival. The rich agriculture of the region has of course also given rise to a splendid local gastronomy, with distinctly regional delicacies and specialities of all varieties. There are a number of annual festivals devoted specifically to celebrate local produce of different kinds.

Creuse

Bordered on the north by the outer reaches of the Loire Valley, the Creuse département has thousands of kilometres of rivers and streams of its own, as well as lakes and ponds everywhere – a fisherman’s paradise! Or for those who prefer to rise above it all, there are gliding, paragliding, and microlight aircraft clubs catering to the daredevils among us. More placid activities abound on and around the region’s many lakes, as well as on the man-made lake at Vassivière – here there is also a Landscape Museum.

Guéret, the capital of the Creuse, has several interesting museums, including displays of antique Limoges painted enamels in the municipal museum. There is also a zoological park and an observatory benefiting from its position in the foothills of the Massif Central. The smaller town of Aubusson has long been a hub of tapestry-making, with beautifully-hued dyes made from the clear waters of the Creuse. The abbey church at Chambon-sur-Voueize was an inspiration to the writer George Sand; Claude Monet was to enthuse about the “fearsome wilderness” he found along the Creuse, an inspiration even to the less artistically inclined. For a more corporeal form of rejuvenation head for the modern Thermal Baths Centre at Evaux-les-Bains in the eastern Creuse. There is in fact no end to the wonderful ways available to work up an appetite for the local cuisine, featuring for example, rabbit cooked in cider, various delicious mushroom specialities, and of course a wealth of wonderful fish recipes.

Corrèze

Truly a magical garden of landscapes and architecture, the Corrèze is home to some of the most acclaimed beautiful villages in all of France, all within reach of each other for a wonderful day’s excursion. Start at Turenne, with the ruins of its feudal castle and the Tour César commanding panoramic views of the undulating countryside as far as the Cantal Mountains to the east, and down to the Dordogne Valley to the south. In the immediate distance one can see Collonges-la-Rouge – only a few kilometres away – a former pilgrims’ stopover, and famous for its exceptional architecture, all in red sandstone, giving it a fairy-tale appearance, and inviting an afternoon’s leisurely exploration. Other picturesque villages nearby include Meymac, with its Benedictine Abbey; Treignac; and Uzerche, with its famous maisons à tourelles, looking like miniature castles perched above the Vézère River. Itineraries in all directions beckon!

One mustn’t however forget a trip to Brive-la-Gaillarde, a lively town with plenty to offer: various weekly markets including a well-known flower market, a modern pedestrian shopping district in a setting among old and historic buildings, and a visit around the two sets of historic town fortifications which gave Brive its sobriquet. Tulle, astride the Corrèze River, is the departmental capital, and was once the centre for the manufacture of fine silk cloth.

For the outdoorsman, the Corrèze is a paradise of opportunities to explore unspoilt countryside through delightful shady forests, past dramatic waterfalls and gorges and along pristine mountain streams. Hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails of all grades wend their way deep into the Limousin mountains, for example to Gimel-les-Cascades, the spectacular waterfalls near Tulle. Well-signposted bike trails traverse the area, as well as 360km of horse riding trails, leading now and then past a listed Historic Monument, an abbey or a church, or some other interesting symbol of the local heritage.

Haute-Vienne

Limousin’s largest town, Limoges, the capital of the Haute-Vienne département, dates back to Roman times, and since the 18th century has been associated with a particularly fine and world-renowned quality of porcelain. There is a fine National Ceramics Museum in Limoges, as well as the fine Gothic cathedral of St-Etienne overlooking the Vienne River. The 14-15th century church of St-Michel-des-Lions and the 18th century Bishop’s Palace (now a municipal museum and botanical garden) are also well worth visiting, in between enjoying the shops and restaurants of this lively university town.

Heading into the hilly and wooded countryside, we find delightful and picturesque small towns such as Solignac with its impressive granite church. Le Dorat, further to the north, dates back to the late middle ages, and boasts fine Romanesque architecture. It plays host to equestrian events all during the summer, as well as son et lumière presentations, and a wide range of cultural and sporting facilities. Bellac, on the River Vincou, is surrounded by ramparts, and has a 12th century Church of Notre-Dame as well as other traditional architecture to seek out. There is a lively summer Performing Arts Festival. A memorial of a far more somber character can be found at Oradour-sur-Glane, the scene of a terrible WWII atrocity carried out in reprisal against local Resistance activity; the burned village has not been rebuilt, but left in memory of those who lost their lives.

The lush countryside offers the wide range of outdoor sporting activities featured throughout the Limousin, with canoeing, kayaking, and sailing firm favourites on the Lac de St-Pardoux to the north of Limoges. Golfers can tear it up on the 18 hole courses at St-Junien, and near Limoges.

Tourist offices and related websites

Limousin
www.tourismelimousin.com
http://crt.limousin.free.fr

Creuse
www.tourisme-creuse.com
www.ot-gueret.fr/en
www.ville-aubusson.com
www.ot-evauxlesbains.fr
www.lacreuse.com
www.ot-chambonsurvoueize.fr

Corrèze
www.vacances-en-correze.net
www.brive-tourisme.com
www.chateau-turenne.com
www.tourisme-correze.com/turenne.htm
www.tourisme-correze.com
www.ot-pays-de-collonges-la-rouge.fr
www.curemonte.org
www.tourisme-argentat.com
www.pompadour.net
www.pays-uzerche.com
www.tourisme-treignac.fr
http://perso.orange.fr/gimellescascades

Haute-Vienne
www.tourismelimoges.com
www.tourisme-hautevienne.com
www.oradour.info
www.oradour.org
www.ledorat.com
www.pbase.com/michel_87/limoges