About the area - "Land of 1000 Lakes"

Merinchal, Creuse

Lac La Vassiviere is a vast lake about an hour from l’hirondelle which has numerous supervised beaches and shaded grassland. There is an island on the lake accessible on foot or by catching a little train. The island offers an art exhibition, a tower to climb, a restaurant/café and lots of walks. It is pleasant to take a drive round the lake.

There are several smaller lakes within about 20 minutes which have swimming, fishing and boating, usually with toilets and small restaurant/bars.

There are several local markets each week, but the 22 biggest and best “foires” per year are in a small local town called Giat about 15 minutes away. Giat also has a large carnival each summer, and most villages in the area have smaller fetes of their own."

Locally there are public tennis courts in Merinchal. These can be booked through the local restaurant as can fishing passes for the lakes in Merinchal. There are also many walks, local and further away.

The best local skiing is about an hour away at Mont Dore which is also worth a visit out of season in the summer. The views from the top, where there is a self service restaurant, are very good. For those who like a challenge in hill walking this is an ideal area.

Aubusson is a centre for amazing tapestries. There is a large museum/gallery in the town - well worth a visit.

Limoges, famous for its porcelain and an attractive city, is well worth a day out. Close by is the village of Oradour, scene of a massacre by Nazis in 1944. It was declared a national monument by Charles de Gaulle and remains as it was left - a must to visit.

Clermont Ferrand is a large industrial city, home of Michelin tyres, with large shopping complexes on the north side of the town. On the way to Clermont are the volcanoes of the Auvergne where there are many mountain walks of varying difficulty. There are two theme parks/education centres which are interesting. Close to Clermont Ferrand is the Puy de Dome, one of the tallest mountains in the area which can be ascended by car as well as foot, offering panoramic views of the whole area.

Useful links

www.montdore.sancy.com

www.britannica.com

www.frenchentree.com

www.the-limousin.co.uk