Campsites in the Haute-Vienne
There are more than 50 campsites in the Haute-Vienne which welcome you with open arms to enable you to visit the department from north to south in a warm holiday atmosphere most of the time. We have selected for you: the Saint-Pardoux lake campsite **** where you can enjoy the calm waters of the lake from the campsite beach in the heart of a vast and preserved nature. Camping Montréal *** in Saint-Germain-les-Belles is situated on the edge of a pond with direct access to the beach. Camping Le Lac *** in Saint-Mathieu is also situated on the edge of a lake with direct access to the beach.
Discover the Haute-Vienne during your camping holidays
Sadly famous for the massacre of 642 people, including 207 children, on 10 June 1944, the village of Oradour-Sur-Glane has remained a powerful symbol of Nazi barbarism and a place of remembrance.
Limoges, capital of Limousin
Limoges is the second most populous city in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region after Bordeaux, and is recognised as a city of Art and History. It knows how to highlight its architectural and cultural heritage. Strolling through the old town, you can admire the old half-timbered houses and the charming Saint-Aurélien chapel built in the 15th century. The lively Place de la Motte and the church of Saint-Michel-des-Lions are worth a visit, as are the pretty market halls, where local produce is the mainstay. Finally, the Gothic-style Saint-Etienne cathedral is in the middle of the old quarter of the Cité, and is listed as a Historic Monument. On the opposite bank of the old town, you can enjoy a splendid view of the cathedral and the Saint-Etienne bridge. Finally, you can't leave Limoges without seeing its famous porcelain. The Adrien Dubouché National Museum offers 12,000 pieces of porcelain, a collection that is unique in the world.
The lakes of the Haute-Vienne, an unusual experience
One of the largest artificial lakes in France, with a thousand hectares of clear water stretching as far as the Creuse and Corrèze rivers, Lake Vassivière is also the largest lake in the Limousin. Situated in the heart of the Plateau de Millevaches, in an exceptional natural setting, it is a unique experience to take advantage of this place where you can practice water sports with your family or friends such as pedal boats, kayaks, fishing or water skiing, or around the lake, horse riding, mountain biking or hiking. Taxi boats will take you on board free of charge to discover this unusual place.
Smaller than the Vassivière lake and located less than 30 km from Limoges in the middle of a preserved site, the Saint Pardoux lake remains the second largest artificial lake in Haute-Vienne. With a total surface area of 330 hectares, it offers sailing, pedal-boating and canoeing and swimming in summer. In all, 192 hectares are devoted solely to sports and leisure activities and 88 hectares to motorboating. You can hike around the lake and admire magnificent views of the lake. Finally, several fun courses suitable for all are offered in an acrobatic park in the forest. Forest snowbord, giant zip line and aerial bike for thrill seekers!
The medieval villages of the Haute-Vienne
Only 20 km from Limoges and on the road to Santiago de Compostela, the village of Saint Léonard de Noblat, which experienced a surge of activity in the Middle Ages, continues to seduce visitors with its historic architecture and cultural heritage. A magnificent Romanesque collegiate church from the 11th and 12th centuries, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the banks of the Vienne River below the village, the 13th century bridge and the pretty houses on the water's edge all add to the charm of this superb village.
Mortemart is located in the Monts de Blond, 40 km from Limoges, and ranks high on the list of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France". Here, the remains of the castle of the Dukes of Mortemart bear witness to the traces of its past. The castle is surrounded by a moat and remains a soothing place with a romantic garden. Built in the 10th century, the village, which is an ancient Gallo-Roman site, developed around the castle. Two former convents, superb granite houses and a green environment favourable to hiking, make the tourist attraction of this village which today has no more than 120 inhabitants.
An important built heritage
Built on a rocky promontory, the Rochechouart castle, with its medieval and Renaissance styles subtly linked, overlooks the Graine valley. The keep and the drawbridge are the remains of the old fortress dating from the Middle Ages. The main courtyard with its arcades, the main building and the columns with Italian influences from the 16th century take you back in time. Two rooms inside, the Hercules Gallery and the Hunting Room, feature 16th century frescoes and murals. This magnificent castle, classified as a historical monument, also houses one of France's great contemporary art museums.
Like its neighbour, the remains of the Châlus-Chabrol castle, an ancient 11th century fortress, stand on a rocky promontory overlooking the village of Châlus. The fatal wounding of Richard the Lionheart in the castle in 1199 made it the emblematic figure of the latter. Hit by a crossbow, the famous King of England is said to have breathed his last in the guard room, in front of the fireplace. From the keep, there is a splendid view. The castle garden is also a very pleasant place to be planted.
One of the monuments on the Richard the Lionheart Road is the castle of Bonneval. The superb Renaissance courtyard and four huge round machicolated towers are to be admired on arrival. From its hillside, it overlooks the village of Coussac-Bonneval. Inside, there are magnificent tapestries in the two accessible rooms as well as exceptional antique furniture.
Founded in 632 by Saint Eloi in the heart of the Limousin, it is after several pillages from the 8th century that the abbey of Solignac finds calm and the construction of a Roman church in the 12th century gives it back its value to such an extent that it becomes one of the most eminent religious constructions of the region. Unfortunately, only the abbey church remains today. The abbey was destroyed by the religious wars and peasant revolts, and a violent fire destroyed the main building in the 18th century.