Six of the Best in Corrèze! from FrenchEntrée.com

31st July 2010

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Six of the Best in Corrèze!

Les Plus Beaux Villages of France

Six of the Best? It was not me that said that; it was the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France that chooses the ‘ prettiest villages of France’. Yes, in Corrèze we have just that. By comparison the Limousin that includes Corrèze, only has just one more to make seven in all.

The association of the Prettiest Villages of France now has 142 villages in its lists and has a strict set of criteria to be achieved before any further village can be accepted. It was started in 1982, and it has a long list of candidate villages who would like to be accorded the title. Only three other departments have more listed villages than Corrèze.

The most fascinating aspect of the six villages in Corrèze is that each of the six is so distinctly different and yet all are in the same départment. This is not an area with one completely dominating style but is so varied that each village has its own style and character.

Segur le Chateau

A westerly village is Ségur le Château, to be found quite close to Pompadour. It sits on the Auvézère river which slowly meanders around the XIIth century fortress standing high above a tight bend. The first castle here was erected in the IXth century. The ruins are not accessible for tourists but they are a worthwhile sight as this is one of the castles on the Route de Richard Coeur de Lion stretching for many miles northwards from Pompadour. The heyday of the village was in the Middle Ages when in 1469 was born the man who was later to be come the future Henri IV of France. Beneath the brooding castle lies a mediaeval village with many of its houses still intact. It has a slightly melancholy air as almost all commercial activity has left the place for the local towns of Lubersac and Pompadour and so its sits quiet, peaceful, and seemingly almost deserted. There is only one bar/restaurant, named after Henri IV, overlooking the shaded car park at the edge of the river!

St Robert

St Robert is also to the west and some 20 Km to the south of Ségur. But what a contrast. It stands proud above the nearby valleys, looking out to all points of the compass. Its central feature is a Roman church and this is surrounded on all sides with small streets of mediaeval houses, hardly changed since they were built …… until you look inside. Many have been developed to make lovely homes and the village has a life of its own with a number of shops and several restaurants, all bustling in the summer heat as people sit outside. Peeping into the gardens is a good thing here as so many seem to have been carefully tended. The village has attracted artists of all sorts and there is a summer music festival.

Collonges la Rouge

Collonges la Rouge really brings in the tourists. It lies just below the main road linking Brive and Beaulieu sur Dordogne and is close to the border of Corrèze and Lot. You can park on the main road and then gently walk down into the heart of the village. Its characteristic is, as its name tells you, the dominant red sandstone of which its houses are made. Built into them are boutiques and tourist shops, cafes, restaurants. Yes, it really does cater for tourists, but that is something that it has done for centuries as it was a stop for pilgrims on their walk to Santiago de Compostella.

Turenne

Not far away from Collonges and visible from the main road is Turenne. From the distance it almost look like a sort of inland Mont St Michel as its volcanic shape stands proud above the surrounding countryside. This was the seat of a powerful viscounty which remained independent from France right up until 1738. The steep hill is crowned with a looming château and the slate and stone roofed houses adorn the slopes below. The first known pilgrim to set out for Santiago de Compostela was the viscount in the XIIth century. The walk up to the castle is well worthwhile as you [pass many old mansions and get increasingly beautiful views.

Curemonte

Surprising close to both Turenne and Collonges is Curemonte with not one but three towering châteaux, all built in different epochs and offering a picture of many troubled times. The first known mention of this village was in 860 AD. It has been the home to many famous people including Francois I, Pope Clement VII and much more recently the French author Colette, who occupied one of the châteaux.

Treignac

Finally we have Treignac: a walled town and much larger than the other prettiest villages, situated to the north of Corrèze, bordering on to Haute-Vienne. It stands high above a loop in the Vézère river before it flows down to the undesignated but lovely town of Uzerche. Again it had a role for pilgrims and many houses still bear the shell emblem of Santiago. But what is not to be forgotten is the chocolate shop. This is for aficionados only! There is even a chocolate showcase, where you can be regaled with all the information you ever want to know about real chocolate, and taste all sorts of cacao from across the world. But beware, do not mention that you like Cadbury’s as they do not think of that to be chocolate at all!!

I feel almost sad that Corrèze has only these six. What about Uzerche, Vigeois, Donzenac, Gimel les Cascades, Allassac, and so many others, that create in Corrèze so much in prettiness, and also variety?

As for living there as we do with our second chez nous the existence of these lovely places adds so much to our own pleasure but also for all the visitors and friends that come to stay with us.

• Neil and Sue Spoonley are always happy to pass on advice about the Limousin to other readers. e-mail: neilspoonley@lineone.net

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