The charcoal burners' trail
Description
From the plateau to the Vianon and Luzège gorges, this route is full of natural and cultural wonders.Take the RD 55 towards the town hall. At the town hall, turn right towards the Chambougnol mill. The road becomes a track.Where the tracks cross, turn right: stay on the main path down into the gorge for 1.5 km. At the crossroads, turn right to make a return trip to the river; go up for 200 metres to see the rocky gorge and then return to the crossroads.Go up a few metres and leave the main path on the right for a small steep trail; follow the signs carefully on this long and technical section - it doesn't have many landmarks. Pass under a power line and find a track.Go up for 50 metres, then drop down to the right by a path in the undergrowth that joins a road. Follow the road to the left to reach the Old Church.Level with the site (you can go up to the church by the stone steps or to go down on the right for a round trip to the Luzège dam, 500 m), take a trail on the left which goes up by wooden steps; stay on the main route: the trail becomes a path at the end of the wood, then a road towards the first house. Go through the village of La Croix; continue on the road, passing the road towards the village of La Chevalerie on the right.In the village of Laborie, take the track on the left, which arrives at a crossroads of tracks. Turn right to take the track you already took on the way to the starting point.
Technical Information
Altimetric profile
Starting point
Steps
Le Tacot
Entre 1913 et 1959, ce tramway aussi appelé « Tacot », reliait Ussel à Tulle. En moyenne, 190 passagers empruntaient chaque jour ce tramway, qui desservait une 50aine de villages, dont Saint-Pantaléon-de-Lapleau.
Le Vianon
Le Vianon, qui prend sa source vers 650 mètres d’altitude, sur la commune de Saint-Angel et rejoint la Luzège un peu plus bas sur le parcours. En remontant la rivière, vous remarquerez un défilé rocheux, aussi appelé « chaos », qui désigne un entassement de rochers dégagé par l'érosion.
Le barrage de la Luzège
Ce barrage est une retenue hydroélectrique sur la Luzège, d’une superficie de 29 ha. Le site y abrite de nombreuses espèces de poissons, mais également la loutre, la vipère péliade, la genette commune ou encore le cerf.
L’église du Gour Noir
Édifiée à la fin du XIIè siècle, cette église a été restaurée à la fin du 20è siècle. Elle accueille, depuis sa première représentation en 1987, le festival de théâtre de la Luzège. Le site est également un espace naturel d’une grande richesse, abritant de nombreuses espaces végétales et animales (aigle botté, cingle plongeur, truite fario, etc.).
Les barbecues
Ces barbecues étaient utilisés par les ouvriers en charge de la construction du barrage au milieu du 20è siècle.
Four à pain
Si de nombreux villages possédaient autrefois leur four à pain, propriété commune des habitants, certains étaient intégrés à l’habitation et ouvraient directement dans la cheminée du logis.
Points of interest
The Tacot Tramway train
Between 1913 and 1959, this tramway, also called the "Tacot", linked Ussel to Tulle. On average, 190 passengers used this tramway every day. It served about 50 villages, including Saint-Pantaléon-de-Lapleau.
The Barbecues
These barbecues were used by the workers in charge of constructing the dam in the middle of the 20th century.
Bread oven
In the past, many villages had their own bread ovens, which were owned jointly by the inhabitants, but some of them were built into the house and opened directly into the chimney of the dwelling.
Additional information
Advised parking
Car park next to the old wagon
Access
From Neuvic, follow the D 991 towards Egletons, then go left on the D 89, then take the D 55E towards St-Pantaléon.
Ambiance
After a refreshing descent to the rocky chaos on the Vianon, come and immerse yourself in the iconic site of the Old Church, a recently restored historical monument, in the heart of the Luzège valley on the site of Le Gour Noir.
Arrival
Car park next to the old wagon
Departure
Car park next to the old wagon
