Local Information

The area is rural with tiny hamlets and quaint old villages, and it's like stepping back in time.
There are churches and monasteries, chateaux and abbeys, markets and fetes, parks and forests for you to enjoy, as well as the famous towns of La Souterraine, Le Dorat, St.Junien, Bellac, Confolens, Poitiers and, of course, Limoges all within easy reach.
The ports of Le Havre and Calais are between six and seven hours away, Limoges and Poitiers airports are about one hour away and there is an excellent rail service from Waterloo via Lille or Paris.  Lastly there is the wonderful food and wine to discover with restaurants to suit every taste and pocket.
There is something for everyone here and once you have sampled the delights of the Limousin ... you'll be back for more.

The Village

There is a large supermarket for all your needs and a smaller one for essentials and three boulangerie. You will also find two hairdressers and two tabacs. There is a tourist information bureau, a gym, a town hall, two banks, a post office and a doctor's, dentist's and veterinary surgery. The town also hosts a market in the square on the 22nd of each month.
There are other villages and towns nearby but Magnac Laval is the nearest to the gite. Also in the vicinity are various restaurants with a selection of menus, all very good.
At Pentecost weekend a 65km walk in the name of St.Maximine takes place and is a very important date on the local calender. It starts at midnight where everyone meets at the church to commence the walk. Several hundred locals take part wearing white and green garlands carrying an effigy of the saint. They stop at the crosses by the roadside where the nearest neighbour would have decorated it with flowers and greenery before their arrival.
There are as many as fifty crosses to be blessed by the priest and the procession would then say a little prayer before moving on to the next cross. We have such a cross at the end of the drive. On their return the weary travellers light up the town with celebrations that go on into the night

Places of Interest

Le Dorat with it's magnificent roman church built between the 9th and 12th centuries and fortified in the 15th century. A lovely medieval town with a market on the 13th of each month. There is an English garden, magnificent architecture, cobbled streets and two convents. Here, you can also visit the famous Limoges pottery factory shop.

Rochechouart with a magnificent chateau perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Grain and Vayres river valleys. This is the home of the museum of contemporary art.

Mortemart listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France holds a weekly farmers market under an ancient covered market stall every Sunday morning. During the third weekend in March they hold an annual antique fair in the chateau. Steeped in history, Mortemart is situated at the foot of the Monts de Blond.

Bellac founded in the middle ages with a 12th century church and many 16th to 18th century houses. It's parks and squares are most attractive and pleasant to sit in watching the hustle and bustle of the shopping streets. The playright Jean Giraudoux was born here and Bellac has opened a museum in his memory. Bellac has two weekly markets on a Wednesday and Saturday morning and a trade fair on the 1st of each month. It is a thriving shopping town with many cultural and sporting events taking place throughout the year. In July the Jean Giraudoux Festival attracts a high standard of theatre, music and dance.

Oradour Sur Glane is a must see for everyone at least once in their lives just to witness man's inhumanity towards man. The ruin bears witness to the tragic events of 10th June 1944 when 642 men women and children were massacred by the Nazis.

Chateauponsac a small town situated in the beautiful countryside in the Valley of the Gartempe river. It houses a famous museum, a campsite, shops and restaurants. There is also a free open-air swimming pool.

Bessines sur Gartempe is another pretty market town that holds a flower market every Sunday morning.

Montmorillon a must for the scholars amongst you as it is renowned for it's literature. A book lovers paradise. The town spreads out either side of the river Gartempe. There is a lovely restaurant overlooking the river where you can enjoy a leisurely lunch.

L'isle Jourdain is a beautiful town with a large market held 20th monthly. The beautiful Vienne river flows through the town under huge viaducts where every Sunday morning you can gasp at the locals bungie jumping from them.

La Souterraine is the stopping place on the St. Jacques-de-Compostello pilgrim route. A pretty town with cobbled streets and lovely shops, hypermarkets, cinema and gardens. From here you can take a regular train direct to Paris.

Les Herolles has a famous market on the 29th of each month. It is a massive event selling everything you can think of. The people come from miles around, very atmospheric, very french and get there early!!

Panazol is the place for another big market held every Sunday morning. It is just off junction 34 on the A20 just past Limoges.

St. Junien a large market town with the market held every 3rd Saturday. It has lovely quaint cobbled streets for you to explore with specialised shops.

Aubusson the town famous for its tapestries.

Confolens is a beautiful town with the river Vienne dividing it. For two weeks in August there is a world music festival where participants attend from all over the world. A must do if you are here during that time. Nearby there is a velo track for the energetic amongst you.

Limoges of course famous for it's pottery and enamel. There are restaurants, lovely old buildings, the butchers quarter with it's own tiny church La Chapelle de St. Aurlian, parks, the famous cathedral, markets, aquarium, nightspots, fantastic shopping and museums. Do visit the market and experience a meal in one of the trader's restaurants. There is also a flea market held in the vicinity of the cathedral on the second Sunday of each month. The train station, which was rebuilt after a fire, is well worth a visit. The architecture is magnificent.

There are many more beautiful and interesting places in the Limousin region too numerous to mention but one thing is for sure, once you experience a little of what the area has to offer you'll be back for more.

Leisure Activities

There is an abundance of fishing lakes and ponds with the licences easily available, horse riding, archery, tennis, local walks, bird watching and cycling. For golf enthusiasts, there are two excellent courses in Poitiers and Limoges. In nearby St.Pardoux there is a 330 hectare lake where you can indulge in all the water sports, motorised and other and it also has manmade beaches for bathing and soaking up the sun. During June, July and August there are numerous events including festivals and fireworks displays, rallies and tournaments.
Ther is a gym in Magnac Laval and swimming pools in Chateauponsac and La Souterraine. Numerous chateau, parks, forests and lakes are all nearby, ideal for taking a picnic and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Futuroscope and the coastal towns of La Rochelle, Ile de Re and Royan are between two and three hours away. For those who like chateau hunting the beautiful town of Saumur on the edge of the Loire is about two hours away and the Dordogne and the Perigord National Park are the same distance south. Good shopping, night clubs, museums, gardens and of course the famous pottery is found in Limoges.