Lac de Vassivière Haute-Vienne

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Lac de Vassivière – 1,000 hectares of crystal clear water

From Eymoutiers, a village on the edge of the Parc Naturel Régional de Millevaches, a small road leads through wild countryside to Lac de Vassivière, a reservoir built just after the Second World War. Often likened to an inland sea, the lake covers over 1,000 hectares of crystal-clear waters which originate on the high Plateau de Millevaches. Ideally situated at the heart of Limousin, so in the centre of France, it is a wonderful place to enjoy fishing, water sports, sailing and boating.

Lac de Vassivière for fishing and water sports

The lake has a good variety of fish and is on the way to becoming one of the best fishing spots in France for predatory fishing. Every year in November a team predatory fishing competition is held which anyone can take part in. At Vassivière there are no restrictions or charges for cruising on the lake with more than 500 moorings spread over 5 ports. Sports fans can go wakeboarding, paddle-boarding, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing and canoeing, while families relax on the beaches (lifeguard presence) or pretty little coves against the backdrop of forest greenery. Go walking, mountain biking or horse riding on the 30km of paths which wind their way around the lake through rolling countryside of woods and moorland, shoreline and hilltops, boardwalks and granite bridges, and across the dam itself. A truly idyllic setting.

Lac de Vassivière – a wide open space for walkers

Randonnée sur le lac de vassivière @marcopolo — Timeless scenery, unspoilt countryside as far as the eye can see…discovering Ile de Vassivière is a wonderfully unusual experience. There are no cars on the island but it can be reached by little tourist train, water taxi or simply on foot across the footbridge. Formerly a farm estate belonging to the Vassivière family, the island now harbours an unlikely combination of buildings designed by architects Aldo Rossi and Xavier Fabre and a granite château built in the 19th century. The International Art Centre with its emblematic architecture, comprises two « conflicting and complementary » entities : a lighthouse-tower on the edge of the woods and a rectilinear gallery blending in with the meadow. Art lovers can explore the sculpture park featuring works by artists who were enchanted by the wonderful scenery. One of them, by Bernard Calet, represents the past of the site. The area around Vassivière is the venue for a rich programme of events : Festival de Conteurs (story-telling), Fête de la Saint Amour, evening markets, village fetes, sporting competitions, story walks, plus a contemporary art centre and a traditional museum.

Rémi Roux, a Gites de France owner since 1976 tells the story of the lake which was once moorland where sheep grazed with a tranquil river running through. The landscape was permanently changed with the creation of the reservoir. All that remains of his little family farm is a building which became a gite, 500m from a beach and a superb fishing spot. Rémi also recounts how the lake is emptied from time to time revealing a lunar landscape, old bridges and paths. This event attracts thousands of people who come to see the scenery and walk on the bottom of the lake.

Vassivière is centrally located in the départements of Creuse and Haute-Vienne, 1 hour from Limoges, Brive and Guéret.

Discover Haute-Vienne with Gites de France Haute-Vienne : Monts de Blond and its mythical stones, Limoges porcelain and gastronomy, Jardin de l'Evêché de Limoges, Mont Gargan, Lac de Saint Pardoux.