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AROUND & ABOUT
The Limousin is an unspoilt region of upland pastures,
forests and pure fresh water lying to the west of the Auvergne and north
of the Périgord and the valley of the Dordogne. Situated in the
heart of the Limousin, in the area known as the land of mountains and
dams the picturesque Peyrat-le-Château is a quiet little town and
an ideal base for exploring the surrounding unspoilt rolling countryside.
It is situtated in Haute Vienne one of the three départements which
make up the Limousin region, the other two being Creuse and Corrèze.
This départment is a region of open countryside where you'll see
the famous Limousin cows everywhere and perhaps even the Saint-Yrieix-La-Perche
pig, often referred to as the 'cul noir' (black bottom).
Peyrat-le-Château
The town itself dates back to the gallo-roman period when it was known
as Patriagum. During the Middle Ages it was known as Peyrat-Le-Fort and
grew in size under the impetus of the Lusingian barons who built the original
castle around the year 1000 AD. The town suffered badlly during the Hundred
Years War and unfortunately little survives of the local heritage and
culture. During the French Revolution the town was renamed Peyrat-La-Montagne
before it became known as Peyrat-Le-Château.
During the 15th century the square tower – one of the five gateways
to the medieval town – was rebuilt and now contains the Resistance
Museum. The museum has three rooms and traces the history of the resistance
movement and its local leader, George Guingouin.
When the town was founded Peyrat had two churches; one dedicated to St
Martin the other to St Denis, the patron saint of France. The church of
St Denis was destroyed in 1793 during the Reign of Terror which immediately
followed the French Revolution. The original church of St Martin was destroyed
by fire in 1184 and a new parish church was built in 1490. The church
was completely restored in 1863 and a new bell tower added in 1893. On
Saturdays during July and August there are concerts featuring music from
around the world. Open air concerts are also held at the lakeside.
The local lake was created by charter dated 16 June 1449 and initially
designed as a watering place for animals and a reservoir in case of fires.The
lake offers swimming from a sandy beach, fishing, boules, a play area
for children and a picnic spot. The lake is stocked with trout, pike,
carp and tench and is ranked as a first category fishing site. A fortnight's
fishing permit in the region costs €32 euros (2005 prices).
There are many old water mills in the area which testify to the ambundance
and importance of water in Limousin which makes the surrounding countryside
so luscious.
Ramblers will be in their element as there are several hiking trails of
varying difficulty and length which start a short distance from our front
door. They are clearly marked and maps and guides can be obtained from
the local tourist office. There are also fantastic cycling routes to suit
all ages and levels of stamina in the Limousin. A local equestrian centre
offers horse riding for all ages and levels of expertise.
A market is held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the main square.
The town centre has several bars and restaurants.
Situated as we are in the centre of the Limousin region we are in easy
reach of many sights. Click on the buttons on the left to see some of
our favourite places in Limousin arranged by département.
welcome
: our rooms : around
and about : contact us
telephone: 00 33 5550 40575 : email: reservations@lhirondelle-du-lac.com
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chambres : aux alentours
: nous contacter
téléphone: 05 55 04 05 75 : email: reservations@lhirondelle-du-lac.com