Located in the foothills of the Massif Central between the departments of Corrèze, Creuse and Haute-Vienne, the Millevaches Regional Nature Park in Limousin covers 314,000 hectares and comprises seven landscape entities: Vassivière and the surrounding area, the Vienne Valley and its tributaries, the Monédières, the Sources, La Courtine and its Creusois plateau, the Haute-Corrèze Valleys, and the Eygurande plateau in Flayat. Wild and unspoilt, it encompasses several Natura 2000 protected sites, like the Millevaches plateau, the Monédières moors and the peatlands of Bonnefond and Péret Bel Air.
Supplied with water by numerous springs, this peaceful territory has plenty to enchant nature-lovers, with its deciduous forests, verdant meadows, rivers, lakes, peatlands, and dry moorland covered in heather. Millevaches Park in Limousin is the kingdom of hikers, and its highest point is Mount Bessou, at 976 metres in altitude, a magnificent site with a panoramic tower where you can enjoy direct views of the Auvergne mountains! To admire another equally remarkable view, you must head to the top of the Suc au May in the Monédières, where an orientation table awaits you at 908 metres above sea level.
From simple walks to athletic hikes, the Park has many itineraries for exploring its natural treasures: the Longeyroux peat bog, the Vienne gorges, the Bost circuit, the Augerolles falls, the Mount Gargan tower… and even a route called On the Granite Trail (Au fil du Granite), a walk of around 3 hours devoted to the emblematic rock of the Millevaches plateau. To find out more about this robust material used for building houses, fountains, churches, crosses and washhouses, head to the House of Granite in Bugeat. Its permanent exhibition will reveal all its secrets to you!
The water sports, meanwhile, are numerous and varied thanks to there being several lakes in the area. Swimming, canoe-kayak, sailing, fishing and pedalo are among the leisure activities available at Lake Vassivière in Royère-de-Vassivière, Lake Sainte-Hélène in Bujaleuf, or Lake Bariousses in Treignac. When the winter comes, head to the Gentioux plateau if you want to enjoy a nice snowshoe walk or cross-country skiing outing!
Boasting abundant and diverse flora, the Millevaches Nature Park is also home to many animal species, including some vulnerable species like the otter, common linnet, short-toed snake eagle, brown trout, rare butterflies and more. It's also a popular place with the many migrant birds that stop by there.
