Any worthwhile trip to the Limousin has to include sampling the regions food and wine.
The local restaurants.
The
restaurants, bistros and cafes in the local area vary quite considerably. The
extremely local Bar/Restaurant 'L'AUBERGE DE NOUIC', (Le Bourg,
87330 NOUIC) who serve very tasty beer and a very appertising menu is just 2
minutes stroll from Wishing Well Cottage. The locals here are very welcoming
and the restaurant epitomises local family life, buzzing with laughter.
Other retaurants range from the basic but cheap and cheerful (with great food
and ambiance) 'Chez-Sylvie' cafe-bar in Peyrat-de- Bellac,
'AUBERGE DU CHEVAL BLANC', (2 avenue Jean Jaures, 87300 BELLAC)
and 'Creperie' restaurants in Bellac, to the pretty and delicious
'Creperie' in Vaulry, the excellent 'Auberge de Quatre
Saisons' near Berneuil, Le Boeuf Rouge (Boulevard
Victor Hugo, St Junien 87200 Tel: +33 8-00773213) where the waitress's are jolly
pleasant (but the manager is likely to tell you off for making too much noise
when drunk (Dad!)) and friendly (and speak English too), and 'Le Relais'
hotel restaurant in Mortemart, (1 Place Royale, Mortemart,
87330 Tel: +33 5-55681209) which sell coffee and prepare meals to take away.
There is also an Italian Restaurant and a kebab shop in St Junien but the names
elude me.
Regional specialities include: Boeuf de Limousin, Chestnuts, Boeuf bearnaise, and local fois gras and goat's cheese. You can find all this and more info in the following Tourist Centres:
Office du Tourisme de Mortemart
D5 Mortemart 87330 Tel: +33 5-55689898
Office du Tourisme de Oradour-sur-Glane
Rue de la Lande, Oradour-sur-Glane 87520 Tel: +33 5-55031373
Office du Tourisme de Bellac
1 Rue Louis Jouvet Bellac 87300 Tel: +33 5-55681279.
Wines.
Being situated between the Loire and Bordeaux regions also has its benefits in terms of the wines available. Even simple bars offer some great wine selections - with many, especially good Cahor reds, from just down the road. For tasting and purchase of a wide variety of different wines, 'Caves de Limousin' a large wine-seller is only 3km away. I have to say that, there is a Lidle in St Junien, and they sell a lot of bargain French Wines, beers and spirits; everything for a jolly good knees up if you are thinking about mixing all three!
Horse Riding is available locally, and if you like to sport your latest walking boots, there are hiking trails that cover the nearby Blond Mountains. You can also hire mountain bikes and then ride the trails at closeby Vaulry. Bellac and Peyrat-de-Bellac also offer comprehensive municipal sporting facilities including tennis and there are a number of golf courses, including one at St. Junien. Check out the map for a clearer view.
The market town of Bellac is situated in a popular part of central France. You
will get a real flavour of the true France here, with just a few tourists, a
few English-speakers and a native population who are very proud of their traditions
and heritage. Bellac sits on the Gartemp river which meanders through the town
at a relaxing pace.
It has a population of 5300.
Just a short distance west of Limoges, the town of St Junien is named after the 6th century hermit whose finely sculpted tomb can be found in the 12th century church. The medieval bridge crossing the Vienne River is near the gothic chapel of Notre Dame. The town is known for its leather craftsmanship as well as the manufacture of gloves and straw paper. It is full of restaurants and bars, a golf course and it also has a Mr Bricolage for all your DIY needs.
Right: St Junien train Station.
Schedules of opening to the public:
Monday at Friday: 06.00h to 20.00h
Saturday, Sundays and feastdays: of 07.00h to 20.00h.
Information call 00 33 (0)5 55 02 10 25
Oradour-sur-Glane
The small village of Oradour-sur-Glane is now a memorial to the events of June
10th, 1944. This is the scene of a horrific massacre carried out by Nazi SS
troops during the Second World War. On that day, Nazi troops killed virtually
the entire village population - only six people out of 648 inhabitants survived;
all the women and children were locked in the church and then burnt alive, and
the men shot dead by a firing squad. The village was left untouched after the
end of the war, with everything left in place just as it was on that day. A
few cars are still on the streets and some neatly parked in their garages, exactly
where they were left. The Oradour-sur-Glane Memorial and Museum exist with the
purpose of analysing the causes of political terror across the world. It would
be a crime to forget what happend here, and the €6 entrance fee for the
Museum is worth every Cent. A walk around the village is free, but my advice
is to see the Museum first and learn about the history. All information is in
English, French and some Nazi lingo, and the video has headphones in various
languages. If you dislike the Germans whilst on holiday, you'll surely hate
them after this. Paul Eluard the poet wrote "These men inflicted on Mothers
and all womankind, the worst injury of all; not sparing their children".
The Memorial to the dead in Oradour-sur-Glane cemetery.
The 642 victims' names are on the black tablets on the rear wall.
The small town of Bussiere-Poitevine is most notable
for the tower of the Chateau de Busserolles, built by Jean de la Lande in 1470.
There is also a 12th century church and nearby river valleys that are good for
walking.
Population of 1000
Lac
de VassiviereYear round fishing can be enjoyed in the eastern part of the Limousin, called the Lac de Vassiviere. The lake is famous for its abundant array of fish, such as pike, perch, roach, carp and tench. Trout reign supreme in the Vassivière!
The Vassivière country is a paradise for outdoor sports. There are 6 fully-equipped sand beaches with playgrounds for children, including volley-ball courts. During the holiday season bathing beaches are adequately supervised, there are sailing clubs and schools on the lake, wind surfing, regattas and two areas reserved for motor-boating and water-skiing! For the most energetic of us, the area has over 300 kms of marked trails for walking, mountain-biking and horse-riding and has four fully-equiped harbours for you boat lovers; getting it there is your problem. Guided tours are well organised.
Enjoy a quiet family ride or follow in the tracks
of the Tour de France. Major events such as Gilles Lalay Classic and The Tour
de France worm their way through this teritory, as do off-road races, mountain-biking,
whitewater sports and semi-marathon races. It's an inland sea: The Vassivière
Lake, with an area of over 1,000 hectares and 45 km of shoreline, is one of
the largest in France.
Saint Pardoux lake covers an area of 330 hectares and is set in the beautiful Haute Vienne countryside. Different watersports are available with a Sailing and Windsurfing Centre plus areas for fishing. There is mountain biking, a volleyball court, tennis and basketball available as well as archery and and a chance to play like Tarzan on the High-ropes course!. Lots of organised sporting activities are available throughout the summer, such as the French open-waters Swimmers Cup, and Bowls, Sandball, Beach Football and Volleyball tournaments.
As the lake is so huge, it is split into three seperate areas; Freaudour, Sandtrop and Chabannes, and each have campsites if you love it so much.
Freaudour
activities where payment is necessary: under-water diving initiation,
swimming lessons, pedalos, tennis, water-skiing (open every day during July
and August, weekends only during June and September)/ringo/baby-ski.
Sandtrop
activities where payment is necessary: water-slide (during July and
August only), pedalos/water bikes, tennis court, swimming lessons, testing by
the E.N.F (French Swimming School).
Chabannes
activities where payment is necessary: pedalos/water bikes, tennis
court, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, archery, high-ropes course, wind-surfing,
lazers and catamarans.
Tourist excursions are available every tuesday, and musical shows or a show of some discription are every Thurday evening. With a welcome drink every Sunday, and daily organised activities for all, you could top it off with one of their foam party's with fireworks on the lake! You can contact the lake for an up-to-date activity check by calling Pays de Saint Pardoux: 05 55 76 57 72 / 05 55 76 33 82
