Looking for a pleasant and pleasant destination for your holiday in the countryside ? The Haute-Vienne (known for the village of Oradour on glane) will reveal all its richness: historical patrimonies, green and generous nature, cultural and artistic life.
Limoges, the world capital of procelain will surprise you by its diversity and its festivities. The temperate climate and vout landscapes are conducive to entertaining and returning to the source. Towns and villages have retained the anthenticity of stone and earth to bring visitors to discover ancient houses, medieval castles and craftsmanship. Around Limoges, forests, paths and small roads invite you to stroll and hike, bike, mountain bike, horseback to discover a preserved rural heritage and hilly landscapes.
Local specialties
Originally a preserved nature, the Haute-Vienne offers you a generous and varied regional cuisine. Gastronomy has its roots in the heart of a country kitchen, simple and authentic.
Sharpen your taste buds and appetite; On the menu : limousine cow, lamb baronet, porcine meat, apples, chestnut, specialties (the marzipan of St-Leonard, the Dorat macaron, the St-Junien cyrano, the trepaïs ...) without To forget the salty specialties (potato pâtés, galétou or black pudding with chestnuts).
Discover all the specialties of the Haute-Vienne here
Major events and venues
The Haute-Vienne can not summarize at a few places of visit. But the visitor who discovers for the first time our department will be able to take inspiration from these places of discovery which represent the "unavoidable" Haute-Vienne not to be missed.
Limoges, city of art and history : City of art and history, capital of the arts of fire, Limoges allows to admire a unique collection in the world : 12 000 pieces of porcelain exhibited in the Adrien Dubouché Museum. Continue your visit to the Casseaux oven, classified as a Historical Monument, then to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, for its superb collection of Limousin enamels of all periods, impressionist paintings and Gallo-Roman objects. The historic districts deliver their treasures to the attentive walker: the Cité, around the cathedral, with its gardens that descend towards the Vienne, or the tasty village of the butchery and its steep streets. Limoges finally allows to appreciate its different architectural styles: metal (the Halles), art deco (the station of the Benedictines, the pavilion of Verdurier), the houses with woods (around the cathedral) Of the Temple) ... In more ways than one, Limoges deserves that one dwells there.
The Parc Zoo du Reynou at the gates of Limoges'gate : located at the Vigen, a few kilometers from Limoges, the park Reynou zoo allows a public of all ages to observe, understand and appreciate the animal and vegetable world. You will be able to discover a great diversity of animals (600 animals or 130 species) representing the five continents.
Lake Saint-Pardoux : Lake Saint-Pardoux is a major tourist site of the Haute-Vienne. In the heart of a preserved natural site, this artificial lake of 330 hectares is the ideal place to practice outdoor activities, alone, with friends or with family. Among the activities: swimming, acrobatic park in the forest and its zip line, health course, beach volleyball court, petanque court, pedal boat rental, canoes and boats, sailing base, mountain bike base, 50 km of marked hiking trails. Collective accommodation, hamlet of lodges and campsites.
Ecomusée "Nostalgie rurale" in Montrol-Senard : this true village of Limousin evokes the rural life of the early 20th century in authentic places : the house and its stable, the bakehouse, the wash house, the communal school, the roof Pigs and chickens, the pyre, the attic, the clog-maker's workshop, the shoemaker's workshop ... The visitor can access all the places free of charge from May to October.
Rochechouart Castle and the Rochechouart Museum of Contemporary Art : Rochechouart Castle has housed the Rochechouart Departmental Museum of Contemporary Art since 1985. In a remarkable 15th century building, the dialogue between heritage and creation Collection of demanding contemporary art as well as the realization of more specific works instead. In 1989, with the founding of the Raoul Hausmann collection (with its 600 works and numerous archives), the museum found, with the famous Dadaist, its tutelary figure.
Mont Gargan : Mont Gargan, which culminates at 731m, exhibits an exceptional panorama on the Millevaches plateau and the Monédières massif to the Monts d'Auvergne. It offers visitors its natural, cultural and historical riches: heathland, peat bog, century-old beech path or 19th-century religious remains are to be seen along the path of discovery.
Le Moulin du Got in Saint-Léonard de Noblat : a witness to the paper industry in Limousin in the 18th century, the Moulin du Got was built at the beginning of the 16th century to make paper and produced until its closure in 1954. Today The Moulin du Got offers visitors the discovery and revival of its workshops. From the birth of the sheet of paper to its printing, attend all of these steps. Regular exhibitions.
The Center de la Mémoire and the martyr village of Oradour sur Glane : on 10 June 1944, the population of the Limousin village of Oradour-sur-Glane was massacred by a troop of about 200 Waffen SS. Preserved as it is, this site testifies to the liberation of Nazi atrocities and the need for remembrance, in tribute to the 642 victims of an abject crime. It was by the law of 10 May 1946 that the ruins of the martyr village could be classified as a historical monument, benefiting from an exceptional procedure and a special status that also decided the construction of the new village. The Memory Center situates the massacre in its historical context. Free and free access to the martyr village through the center of memory.
The castle of Châlucet : the medieval fortress of Châlucet constitutes one of the major patrimonial elements of the Limousin, built at the top and on the slopes of a spur; Two fortifications : Châlucet bas is the oldest (XIIth-XVIth), with the famous "Tour jeannette" and Châlucet high (XIIIth), both military place and luxury residence; Dismantled by the Consuls of Limoges at the end of the 16th century; Among the most beautiful ruins of France; Excavations and consolidation work in progress.
Lac de Vassivière : with its 47 kms of sharp edges, the Lac de Vassivière is more than 1000 hectares of clear and clear waters from the entrails of the Plateau de Millevaches. Timeless landscapes, spaces preserved as far as the eye can see, riches that take you on an exotic adventure, an unusual and authentic experience. To see: the island of Vassivière and its International Center of Art and Landscape. Experience the adventure Vassivière on the water: canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing, wake-boarding ... as in the open air: hiking, mountain biking, or horseback on the footpath. Unique in France, taxi boats take you free to discover this multi-faceted site.
The Espace Hermeline in Bussière Galant : Espace Hermeline offers a wide range of family activities, spread over 20 hectares : bicycle-rail (small light rail vehicles), adventure trail in the trees, mega Tyrolean (400 m of slide 23 m high above the water), minigolf, tennis, small railway, BMX track, paintball, beach supervised in season ...
City of Insects : the museum & nature park: a beautiful site, in a preserved environment ! Discover the fascinating and unknown world of insects with family or friends, whatever the weather. 400 m² of interactive exhibitions where the infinitely small is in close contact with the infinitely large: a curiosity cabinet, a naturalist's office (more than 10,000 specimens), a microscope room, interactive biodiversity, an insectarium and a giant cricket.
The Aquarium of Limousin : the Aquarium of Limoges is located in an architectural setting unique in France, an ancient reservoir of underground and vaulted water of the city of Limoges. It was built under Napoleon III in order to preserve the city of possible epidemics of cholera. You will be able to discover one of the biggest species presentations in France. The Aquarium of the Limousin is recognized as one of the public aquariums richest by its diversity of aquatic animals presented.
More information for your stay in Haute-Vienne in Limousin : www.tourisme-hautevienne.com
