La Vélidéale en Limousin

At over 1,000 hectares, Lac de Vassivière is the largest lake in the Haute-Vienne region. It is a tourist resort with 5 supervised beaches, a wide range of accommodation (self-catering cottages, campsites, vacation villages, etc.), an International Center of Art and Landscape with its sculpture wood, cultural events (Festival du Conte, Festival Folie! Les mots, etc.), sports activities (equestrian center, hiking), a unique lakeside trail, shuttle boat and tourist train services, water sports (pedalos, canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, sailing base, windsurfing, water skiing, etc.). Year-round 2nd category fishing (pike, pike-perch, perch, etc.), with trout king in the vicinity. Whether on foot, mountain bike or horseback, you're free to explore the natural surroundings.

The 70-hectare Lac de Sainte-Hélène is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding, fishing, sailing and canoe rental. Supervised swimming from July 1 to August 31 (except Wednesdays) from 1:30 pm to 7 pm. Nautical activities including motorboats. Children's playground, multisports field, shaded beach, marked hiking trails (mountain biking, walking and horseback riding), geocaching, pétanque courts, volleyball. Facilities: sanitary facilities, first-aid post, etc. For anglers: carp fishing (night fishing in some areas), bleak, roach, tench, bream, pike? Several fishing pontoons, including one accessible to the disabled (opposite the campsite), and a family trail.

Dedicated to the cult of Saint Léonard, the collegiate church of Saint-Léonard de Noblat was built in the 11th and 12th centuries, then modified until the 19th century. The Romanesque collegiate church is remarkable for its bell tower-porch, gable windows, baptistery rotunda and Limousin portal. Inside: a vaulted nave, lantern tower, vast choir with ambulatory lit by 7 radiating chapels, and the tomb, lock and reliquary shrine of Saint Leonard, patron saint of prisoners and pregnant women. Part of the "Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle en France" property, the collegiate church of Saint Léonard de Noblat has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

The cobbled, humpbacked Saint-Martial bridge resembles the Saint-Etienne bridge. However, its origins go back much further: its piers rest on Roman granite bases. It replaced a ford further downstream (la Rôche-au-Gô), and extended the city's decumanus maximus. Today, it leads to an ancient island on the right bank, the Sainte-Félicité district.

The Limoges Aquarium celebrates its 30th anniversary this year! It?s a new season with a few new features. Captain Axo remains true to form, accompanying visitors on their journey. Many anecdotes about the species that inhabit the waters of the five continents of the Earth await you! Throughout your visit, biologists will be on hand to listen to you, and to offer you the chance to watch the fish being fed. Located in a former underground vaulted water reservoir belonging to the city of Limoges, you can observe native species (carp, perch, sturgeon, crayfish, etc.), as well as animals from lakes and rivers all over the world (rays, axolotls, shark fish, piranhas, discus, catfish, etc.), not forgetting the wonders of the marine world, with its multitude of astonishing colors and shapes

The Musée national Adrien Dubouché boasts the world?s richest public collection of Limoges porcelain, as well as works representative of the major stages in the history of ceramics, from Antiquity to the present day - a total of 18,000 works, 5,000 of which are currently on display. The tour is designed to follow a particularly fluid and didactic circular route, through spaces of different character, to avoid any monotony in the presentations. The tour begins with the various stages of porcelain manufacture, then reveals the great moments in the history of ceramics from Antiquity to the present day, ending with a focus on Limoges porcelain. To prepare for your visit or guide you through the collections, download the ?MNAD Limoges? visitor application, free on smartphone.

Neo-Gothic chapel built of brick in the 19th century, featuring a Virgin of Pity and a 16th-century statue of St. Clare. In the nave are four large shrines containing relics of martyrs brought back from Rome in 1870. Contemporary historiated stained-glass windows have replaced the 19th-century ones. The Way of the Cross, with its 14 stations, is located in the second part of the park, on the left-hand side of the hill. Grotto of the Passion by the river, under the bridge leading to the Way of the Cross. Second part of the park separated from the forecourt by the Aurence river. Benches and picnic tables in the park. Pilgrims' room and gift store open in spring and summer from 2.30pm to 5pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ice creams, bottled water, cakes from the Carmelite nuns of Limoges and garden vegetables on sale.

A Romanesque church, rebuilt in the Gothic period and housing a 17th-century altarpiece, modified in the 19th century, this church retains the memory of its vicissitudes (armed troops burning the church in 1273, defense of Jeanne d'Albret's castle in 1492, and the plague epidemic of 1586). The church features a Romanesque granite font and a 17th-century Virgin and Child. The bell tower dates from 1904. The cross-vaulted choir is Romanesque, while the bays and chapels are Gothic.

This 12th-century church, dedicated to Arédius, founder of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, has a plan that is very rare in the Limousin region, having retained the choir with its two-day bell tower. Partly rebuilt in 1496 and again in the 18th century, it is illuminated by stained glass windows by Francis Chigot and the Atelier du Vitrail. It features an 18th-century altarpiece, an octagonal font decorated with inverted polylobes, and a beautifully crafted Christ on the Cross.

Get your fill of thrills with the activities on offer at the Saint-Victurnien leisure park! Take a supervised course in rock climbing, archery or orienteering, or enjoy fishing, mountain biking, hiking, slacklining or orienteering thanks to the QRcode. You can also canoe and kayak down the Vienne with the CKC association. A program of activities is offered every year for supervised activities, but it is also possible to book outside these periods. Reservations required. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the activity.

Standing on a rocky promontory, this 13th- and 15th-century fortress was remodeled in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Renaissance courtyard features a gallery with arcades and twisted columns. Inside, two rooms house 16th-century frescoes. The first depicts hunting scenes, while the monumental second evokes the labors of Hercules. Since 1985, the château has been home to the Haute-Vienne Museum of Contemporary Art.

Overlooking the Graine and Vayres valleys, the Château de Rochechouart has been home to the Musée d'art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne since 1985. Landscape, history and the imaginary are the three main themes behind the creation of this institution by the Conseil départemental de la Haute-Vienne. In a remarkable 15th-century building, the dialogue between heritage and contemporary creation has led to the creation of an international contemporary art collection, as well as the production of works more specific to the site. In 1989, with the creation of the Raoul Hausmann collection (comprising 600 works and numerous archives), the Museum found its tutelary figure in the famous Dadaist.

In the heart of the Limousin countryside, ideally situated between Saint-Junien, Limoges and Oradour-sur-Glane, this family-run gîte has everything you need for a pleasant stay. Suitable for 10 people, this former barn has been tastefully renovated and offers large, convivial interior spaces. For a great time with family or friends, take advantage of the terrace and the many facilities, including table soccer (inside), ping-pong table, pétanque court and plancha. If required, a baby pack is available (bed, high chairs, changing table, etc.). If you're a nature-lover, there's a water sports and leisure center just 5 minutes away: canoeing, archery, climbing, orienteering? And if you've got bikes, you can follow the river Vienne along the Vélidéale (national cycle route), just 100m from the gîte.