25.08.2020 - Limousin (F)
25.08.2020 - Limousin (F)
25.08.2020 - Limousin (F)
Duitsland
25 August 2020, the weather forecast is good. We can finally leave again. After a difficult family period, and with the corona infections somewhat under control, we drive towards the Limousin - a green lung in the heart of France. The region lives up to its name; the Limousin also turns green on the European map with corona infections! The day itself was cold, windy and wet. We even had to put on our heating on the way.

As always, we don't do more than 400 km a day and we stop to spend the night. We are in Dreux. A neat and quiet camper place of Camping-car Park, located within an industrial zone.
Day 2
The weather cleared and after a long drive on motorways and winding lanes we stop in Saint-Martial-sur-Isop, just inside the Limousin border. We are on a free motorhome pitch from the France Passion catalogue.
A bison farm! We had the opportunity to view the wild bison with the owner, a herd of about 80 animals. There is consciously as little human intervention and care as possible. The animals live outside day and night, winter and summer. When the time to be slaughtered comes, they are driven to a bead. In many cases this is their only contact with humans.
In true safari style we drove in his Jeep among the animals, less than a meter away. A really fun experience. Getting out was not recommended. Not even the owner risked walking among the animals.
Day 3
After a very quiet night we drive to Oradour-sur-Glane. There are few places in France where the horrors of World War II are as tangible as here, a village that was completely massacred by the SS in 1944.
Why did this horror take place? In retaliation for the death of an SS general, they circled a random village on the map near Limoges… Oradour-sur-Glane.

On Saturday 10 June 1944, the SS troops approached the village. It was a sunny day and in Oradour men were waiting for the tobacco to be distributed when the first SS men entered the village square. After that it all went very quickly and according to a script used in the destruction of villages in Russia.
All residents were collected and the men were separated from the women. Not much later, the male residents were shot. The women and children were then locked up in the church, which was blown up, and the rest of the village was destroyed and set on fire. In a matter of hours, an entire village was destroyed with cold-blooded efficiency. 642 people were killed that day, only six villagers managed to escape.

After the war, General De Gaulle determined that no stone should be moved from the blackened Oradour. An empty, battered village as a warning for future generations. "Souviens-toi. Remember "is written on a sign at the entrance. And close to it: "Silence". A poignant place to visit!
The old Oradour can only be reached via a tunnel that runs under the road. This departs from the visitor centre, which was built in 1999. After visiting the visitor centre we entered the tunnel. There are two huge signs with the photos of the identified victims. It took a while to see the many photos.

Most people walked modestly through what was once a prosperous village. A village with a tram line, hotel, cafes, bakeries, boys 'and girls' school ... Seeing the totally destroyed houses, the car wrecks, here and there a sober sign indicating the places where the men of the village were drawn up for execution . We fell silent. Everything was there as at the time of the German invasion. The village doctor's car in front of the bicycle shop he was visiting, the cooking pots still hanging above the hearth. And then the church… where the great drama took place. You imagine it: stuffed with women and children and then a big bang. Horrifying.

The village itself was completely rebuilt a kilometre further after the war.
Day 4
Today a visit to Limoges is on the program. The capital of the porcelain. Before our trip, I contacted the Limoges tourist office. During my preparations, I noticed that there were few options for parking the motorhome. They referred us to a large car park just outside the centre. If necessary, you can take the bus to the centre. See the bottom of the report for more details on this.
Despite the busy traffic, the city centre looked deserted. No people in the shopping streets, lots of space on the terraces. We find the city itself gray, it does not look cosy. It is even a matter of looking for a store where they offer the (much too expensive) porcelain.
Most of the activity takes place on Motteplein, a pleasant and lively place with terraces and cafes. The 19th century market halls are also located on this square. Inside, between the stalls with regional products, there was a pleasant bustle. A true food paradise. We had a delicious meal on one of the many terraces in and around the halls.
The most beautiful place, in our opinion, is the area around Saint Etienne Cathedral, a remarkable example of Gothic art. Next to the cathedral are the Bishop's gardens, very beautiful terraced gardens that hang over the river Vienne. An ideal place to stroll, but also to admire the many plant species of the botanical garden. Adjacent to the gardens, the Bishop's Municipal Museum is housed in the former episcopal palace.
After the visit of Limoges, we continue to the campsite of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to spend the night.
25 August 2020, the weather forecast is good. We can finally leave again. After a difficult family period, and with the corona infections somewhat under control, we drive towards the Limousin - a green lung in the heart of France. The region lives up to its name; the Limousin also turns green on the European map with corona infections! The day itself was cold, windy and wet. We even had to put on our heating on the way.

As always, we don't do more than 400 km a day and we stop to spend the night. We are in Dreux. A neat and quiet camper place of Camping-car Park, located within an industrial zone.
Day 2
The weather cleared and after a long drive on motorways and winding lanes we stop in Saint-Martial-sur-Isop, just inside the Limousin border. We are on a free motorhome pitch from the France Passion catalogue.
A bison farm! We had the opportunity to view the wild bison with the owner, a herd of about 80 animals. There is consciously as little human intervention and care as possible. The animals live outside day and night, winter and summer. When the time to be slaughtered comes, they are driven to a bead. In many cases this is their only contact with humans.
In true safari style we drove in his Jeep among the animals, less than a meter away. A really fun experience. Getting out was not recommended. Not even the owner risked walking among the animals.
Day 3
After a very quiet night we drive to Oradour-sur-Glane. There are few places in France where the horrors of World War II are as tangible as here, a village that was completely massacred by the SS in 1944.
Why did this horror take place? In retaliation for the death of an SS general, they circled a random village on the map near Limoges… Oradour-sur-Glane.

On Saturday 10 June 1944, the SS troops approached the village. It was a sunny day and in Oradour men were waiting for the tobacco to be distributed when the first SS men entered the village square. After that it all went very quickly and according to a script used in the destruction of villages in Russia.
All residents were collected and the men were separated from the women. Not much later, the male residents were shot. The women and children were then locked up in the church, which was blown up, and the rest of the village was destroyed and set on fire. In a matter of hours, an entire village was destroyed with cold-blooded efficiency. 642 people were killed that day, only six villagers managed to escape.

After the war, General De Gaulle determined that no stone should be moved from the blackened Oradour. An empty, battered village as a warning for future generations. "Souviens-toi. Remember "is written on a sign at the entrance. And close to it: "Silence". A poignant place to visit!
25th  August 2020, the weather forecast is good. We can finally leave again. After a difficult family period, and with the corona infections somewhat under control, we drive towards the Limousin - a green lung in the heart of France. The region lives up to its name; the Limousin also turns green on the European map with corona infections! The day itself was cold, windy and wet. We even had to put on our heating on the way.

As always, we don't do more than 400 km a day and we stop to spend the night. We are in Dreux. A neat and quiet camper place of Camping-car Park, located within an industrial zone.
Day 2
The weather cleared and after a long drive on motorways and winding lanes we stop in Saint-Martial-sur-Isop, just inside the Limousin border. We are on a free motorhome pitch from the France Passion catalogue.
A bison farm! We had the opportunity to view the wild bison with the owner, a herd of about 80 animals. There is consciously as little human intervention and care as possible. The animals live outside day and night, winter and summer. When the time to be slaughtered comes, they are driven to a bead. In many cases this is their only contact with humans.
In true safari style we drove in his Jeep among the animals, less than a meter away. A really fun experience. Getting out was not recommended. Not even the owner risked walking among the animals.
Day 3
After a very quiet night we drive to Oradour-sur-Glane. There are few places in France where the horrors of World War II are as tangible as here, a village that was completely massacred by the SS in 1944.
Why did this horror take place? In retaliation for the death of an SS general, they circled a random village on the map near Limoges… Oradour-sur-Glane.

On Saturday 10 June 1944, the SS troops approached the village. It was a sunny day and in Oradour men were waiting for the tobacco to be distributed when the first SS men entered the village square. After that it all went very quickly and according to a script used in the destruction of villages in Russia.
All residents were collected and the men were separated from the women. Not much later, the male residents were shot. The women and children were then locked up in the church, which was blown up, and the rest of the village was destroyed and set on fire. In a matter of hours, an entire village was destroyed with cold-blooded efficiency. 642 people were killed that day, only six villagers managed to escape.

After the war, General De Gaulle determined that no stone should be moved from the blackened Oradour. An empty, battered village as a warning for future generations. "Souviens-toi. Remember "is written on a sign at the entrance. And close to it: "Silence". A poignant place to visit!
The old Oradour can only be reached via a tunnel that runs under the road. This departs from the visitor centre, which was built in 1999. After visiting the visitor centre we entered the tunnel. There are two huge signs with the photos of the identified victims. It took a while to see the many photos.

Most people walked modestly through what was once a prosperous village. A village with a tram line, hotel, cafes, bakeries, boys 'and girls' school ... Seeing the totally destroyed houses, the car wrecks, here and there a sober sign indicating the places where the men of the village were drawn up for execution . We fell silent. Everything was there as at the time of the German invasion. The village doctor's car in front of the bicycle shop he was visiting, the cooking pots still hanging above the hearth. And then the church… where the great drama took place. You imagine it: stuffed with women and children and then a big bang. Horrifying.

The village itself was completely rebuilt a kilometre further after the war.
Day 4
Today a visit to Limoges is on the program. The capital of the porcelain. Before our trip, I contacted the Limoges tourist office. During my preparations, I noticed that there were few options for parking the motorhome. They referred us to a large car park just outside the centre. If necessary, you can take the bus to the centre. See the bottom of the report for more details on this.
Despite the busy traffic, the city centre looked deserted. No people in the shopping streets, lots of space on the terraces. We find the city itself gray, it does not look cosy. It is even a matter of looking for a store where they offer the (much too expensive) porcelain.
Most of the activity takes place on Motteplein, a pleasant and lively place with terraces and cafes. The 19th century market halls are also located on this square. Inside, between the stalls with regional products, there was a pleasant bustle. A true food paradise. We had a delicious meal on one of the many terraces in and around the halls.
The most beautiful place, in our opinion, is the area around Saint Etienne Cathedral, a remarkable example of Gothic art. Next to the cathedral are the Bishop's gardens, very beautiful terraced gardens that hang over the river Vienne. An ideal place to stroll, but also to admire the many plant species of the botanical garden. Adjacent to the gardens, the Bishop's Municipal Museum is housed in the former episcopal palace.
After the visit of Limoges, we continue to the campsite of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to spend the night.
Day 5
After having parked in the large mixed car park, we walk to the old town of Aubusson. Despite the fact that it is Saturday, there are also very few people here.
We strolled through the picturesque alleys, spotting houses with turrets, old houses and fountains. It also looks a bit gray. This is due to the ubiquitous granite stone used extensively in the architecture of the city.
Via the stairs to the "cinema" we visit the higher situated Sainte-Croix church. An example of Romanesque art.

Aubusson is known worldwide for its carpet industry. A great handicraft tradition that is six centuries old. We should certainly not miss a visit to the departmental museum for the carpet industry. Inside we saw unique pieces from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. There were also some temporary exhibitions of contemporary works. Afterwards we took a break on a terrace in the city centre.
06.08.2018 - Hochschwarzwald
05/08/2018: alles ingeladen, de watertank voor een derde gevuld… Op naar het Zwarte Woud. Meer specifiek het zuiden en dit tot in Waldshut aan de grens met Zwitserland, het “Hochschwarzwald”.  20 jaar geleden waren we er al en een tweede bezoek is het zeker waard.  De startafstand (625 km) die we normaal in één dag doen, doen we nu rustiger aan. De eerste middag brengen we door in Mehring, een mooi dorp aan de Moezel.  De camperplaats (met zijn restaurant) ligt pal aan het water.  Gelukkig, ondanks of dank zij de hitte zijn er geen muggen.
Meer moest dat niet zijn. Luieren in een stoel aan het water, even wandelen en dan rustig een glaasje drinken op het terras van het plaatselijke restaurant.
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Dag 2
We rijden richting Titisee. We hadden gereserveerd op camping Bühlhof. De bedoeling was om er een aantal dagen ter plaatse te overnachten. De camping is boven een berg gelegen en de weg er naartoe is zeer steil. Een ideale omgeving voor … berggeiten. De 170 pk van de mobilhome was meer dan welkom. De camping is oud maar zeer net, de plaatsen best ruim doch zeker niet vlak. Na de installatie verkennen we de camping en genieten nog na van een mooie avond.
Dag 3
Vandaag wandelen we naar het stadje Titisee aan het gelijknamige meer. Erheen wandelen is, ondanks de hitte, geen probleem. Terugkeren was een ander paar mouwen. Het gedeelte van de grote baan naar de camping was zoals eerder gezegd, een echte kuitenbijter en niet een baantje om meerdere keren per dag te voet af te leggen.
De Titisee is het meest toeristische meer van het Zwarte Woud. Een prachtig natuurlijk meer op een hoogte van zowat 840 meter. In het plaatsje zelf vind je talrijke winkels, restaurants. Het is er heerlijk vertoeven. In de hoofdstraat zijn veel souvenir winkels gelegen, waar je veel producten uit het zwarte woud zoals hammen en kersenmarmelade vindt, en heel veel koekoeksklokken. We konen niet weerstaan aan de streekproducten en kochten zwarte woudham en ‘wald’honing! Geoefende wandelaars kunnen rond het meer wandelen. Het pas is ongeveer 7 km lang. Op het meer kan je leuke boottochten maken. Met een excursieboot, roeibootje, pedalo, of een electrisch bootje. Het is ook een luchtkuuroord. Het is niet het grootste meer, dat is de Schluchsee. 
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Dag 4
Het is een weertje om luilekker te genieten op de camping. Ondanks de hoge temperaturen besluit ik, Dirk, om in de namiddag een wandeling te maken. Eén die start op de camping. Het pad naar de rand van het bos was al zeer steil. Toen ik boven aan de rand van het bos kwam, was ik blij dat ik even kon verpozen op een bankje. Een prachtig panoramisch zicht en wandelen tussen de koeien. Dat is het zwarte woud ten top.  ’s Nachts zorgt een stevig onweer ervoor dat alles opgefrist wordt.
Dag 5
Freiburg de belangrijkste stad van het Zwarte Woud. Het is nog steeds zeer warm.  Net aan de rand van de stad parkeren we op een grote camperplaats. Na een stevige wandeling (terugkeren doen we wijselijk met de tram) nemen we een kijkje in de talrijke historische straten en wandelen langs stadspoorten, de vele stadhuizen, marktpleinen, door winkelstraten en ... langs de beken! Ja, wel opletten als je in de straten van het centrum kuiert. In vele straten liggen nog kleine open beken (Bächle).
De Münsterkerk neemt prominent haar plaats in. In de Kaiser Joseph Strasse zijn vele grote warenhuizen gelegen.

Terwijl we op een terras genoten van een lekkere maaltijd werden we verrast door zowaar een windhoos. Deze trok over gans Freiburg. De zware parasols waaiden allen om, kleinere kozen het luchtruim. Servieten, tafellakens, stoelkussens, en zelfs stoelen gingen vliegen. We moesten in allerijl onze borden nemen en in het restaurant vluchten. Na twee minuten was alles voorbij en scheen de zon weer. Nu nog wat winkelen (eindelijk) en dan de tram op. Dit gratis! Dankzij onze KONUS gastenkaart.
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Wanneer op je vakantie bent in het Zwarte Woud krijg je op campings of in je hotel of gastenverblijf een Konus gastenkaart.

De uitdrukking “KONUS” komt van de vroegere universele sleutel die trein conducteurs ooit gebruikten om bussen en treinstellen te openen. Deze uitdrukking staat voor gratis gebruik van openbaar vervoer voor bezoekers aan het gehele Zware Woud. Er zijn enige uitzonderingen.
Na aankomst op je vakantiebestemming kun je je voertuig laten staan en brengt het openbaar vervoer (bus, tram, trein, om het even) je naar elke plaats die je wenst, zonder je zorgen te hoeven maken over een parkeerplaats.

Meer info over deze kaart vind je op: zwartewoud.info

Overnachten doen we voor de laatste maal op camping Bühlhof in Titisee.
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Dag 6
Triberg bezoeken bleek niet mogelijk door een totaal gebrek aan parkeerplaatsen, de massa toeristen en overal achtergelaten fietsen.  De bedoeling was om er een bezoek te brengen, niet alleen aan het “Schwarzwaldmuseum” maar ook aan de grootste winkel met koekoeksklokken. We rijden dan maar door naar Schonach voor een bezoekje aan de tot voor kort, grootste koekoeksklok ter wereld en vervolgens verder naar de Schluchsee.  In Schluchsee vinden we nog net een plaats op de camperplaats. Deze is net aan het gelijknamige stuwmeer gelegen. Het meer is drie maal groter dan de Titisee maar niet zo toeristisch uitgebaa(ui)t. Dit is onze overnachtingsplaats voor de komende 2 nachten.
Dag 7
Na een bezoek aan en een wandeling rond het leuke stadje gaan we ’s middags varen op het meer met de rondvaartboot. Een boot die drie haltes rond het meer aandoet. Vanaf die haltes kan je mooie wandelingen aan en rond het meer maken. Zoals gewoonlijk is er geen Nederlandstalige info (wel Chinees) aan boord, maar als je goed luistert kan je wel iets meepikken van de Duitstalige rondleiding.  Tenzij je natuurlijk geniet van een stuk taart, een ijsje of iets vloeibaars op de boot…
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Dag 8
Onze reis gaat verder naar Waldshut, een klein oud stadje aan de Rijn en tegen de grens met Zwitserland. De mooie (luxe) camperplaats ligt naast de camping (waarvan de douches en toiletten ook voor de campers zijn) en heeft alle faciliteiten.  Via een korte wandeling langs de Rijn kom je in het stadje vol fraaie oude vakwerkhuizen, mooie winkels en terrasjes in de verkeersvrije Kaiserstrasse, die aan beide zijden omsloten wordt door een markante stadspoorttoren. In het midden van de straat stroomt door een stenen goot water. Ook zijn er drie moderne fonteinen.
Op het terras van een patisserie genoten we van dé taart van de streek: zwarte woudtaart; heerlijk!
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Dag 9
We wippen even de Zwitserse grens over en bezoeken de Rijnwatervallen in Schaffhausen.  Er is een parking (P4) voorzien voor campers maar zoals gewoonlijk staan er ook vele personenauto’s tussen. Vroeg toekomen is de boodschap!  Je mag overnachten op de parking, maar het is er zeer duur. Waarschijnlijk komt dit door de dure Zwitserse frank!

De “Rheinfall” zijn de grootste watervallen van Europa. Je voelt het gebulder van het water door je hele lichaam. Je kan er met een boot naar de kastelen, in het bekken van de Rijnwaterval en zelfs naar het terras op de rots in het midden.
Je wordt er getrakteerd op een gratis, ijskoude douche door het opspattende water.  Het is een indrukwekkend schouwspel.
Day 5
After having parked in the large mixed car park, we walk to the old town of Aubusson. Despite the fact that it is Saturday, there are also very few people here.
We strolled through the picturesque alleys, spotting houses with turrets, old houses and fountains. It also looks a bit gray. This is due to the ubiquitous granite stone used extensively in the architecture of the city.
Via the stairs to the "cinema" we visit the higher situated Sainte-Croix church. An example of Romanesque art.

Aubusson is known worldwide for its carpet industry. A great handicraft tradition that is six centuries old. We should certainly not miss a visit to the departmental museum for the carpet industry. Inside we saw unique pieces from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. There were also some temporary exhibitions of contemporary works. Afterwards we took a break on a terrace in the city centre.
Day 6
We enter the Regional Natural Park of Millevaches and in the heart of the park make our way to Lake Vassivière. Due to its size and rugged outline (47 km shores and more than 1000 ha of water), it looks a bit like the great Scandinavian lake areas.
We settle down at La Presqu’île campsite, on the shores of the lake. Standing a little higher, we have a beautiful view of the lake.
The intention was to take a taxi boat to the island of Vassivière in the middle of the lake. On the island you could enjoy walking and you can visit a farm where you can enjoy regional products. However, the tourist season was over and we had to wait more than two hours for the next taxi boat. And meant that we could only stay on the island for an hour. The island can also be reached via a bridge. From the car park on the edge of the bridge you can reach the island with the "petit train" or on foot. The bridge is located about six kilometres from the campsite, and it was a bit too far for us to go there on foot.
We decided to take a walk on the shores of the lake, which was also very pleasant and restful. Relax regularly and enjoy the panoramic view of the lake. We are sorry that we did not encounter a single bench, a lack around this beautiful lake.
In the evening we enjoyed the beautiful view and the setting sun on the lake from our camper.
Day 7
We take a tour through the regional park of Millevaches. A beautiful nature reserve. The name "thousand cows" would make you think of many Limousin cows you see in the area (a little embarrassing to say, but it is very tasty meat).
Partly true: an old legend tells how a shepherdess had to tend a thousand cows. In a heavy thunderstorm she lost them all, and as punishment all the cows were turned into boulders of bizarre shapes. A more plausible explanation would be that the name comes from a compound of the Gallic word “melo”, meaning mountain, hill, with the Latin word “vacua” meaning empty, deserted. "The deserted mountain" is a description that corresponds to what is known about the area between the third century and the beginning of the Middle Ages, when the region was completely deserted. Yet a recent study returns to 'water', based on the Limousin dialect where gacho means 'mud' or 'swamp'; near the village of Millevaches not only the Vienne rises, but there are indeed several sources and also a marsh.

We ride along steep and winding roads through the varied landscapes: along a rocky mountain range (the mountain range of Monédières) and via the village of Millevache along the wetlands of Longeyroux.
In this way we arrive in the historic town of Meymac. We walk through the atmospheric, but deserted streets of the historic centre. Unfortunately it is Monday; the museum and the few shops are closed.
We walk along the old hall from the 16th century, a former hospital, the clock tower and a beautiful fountain of Volvic stone at the town hall.

The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-André-Saint-Léger, founded at the end of the 11th century, adjoins the beautiful Romanesque church. The abbey houses the Marius Vazeilles museum, dedicated to the history of the Millevaches plateau. But as said it was closed that day. In the church we could see a beautiful Black Virgin from the 12th century.
Day 8
In the morning we waved goodbye to a few pilgrims from the camper place in Meymac. They spent the night on the adjacent campsite (where we had an unpleasant meeting with the manageress - see the bottom of the overnight stay overview). They continue their walk, accompanied by their donkey.
We drove under a bright sun to the waterfalls of Gimel. Following our GPS we arrived on the wrong side of the village of Gimel-les-Cascades. We were at the falls, but had nowhere to park our camper. Turning around was almost impossible.
The only option left was to drive over the narrow stone bridge to the other side of the village. Which was not really intended. There was less than 5cm free space on both sides. I didn't have to fold my mirrors, they were above the stone railing. I rode up the bridge at walking pace. In the meantime, several spectators were already watching our manoeuvre. Monique gave me excellent guidance to the other side. Undamaged we were able to cross the village to the car parks.
We then returned on foot through the small, but surprisingly nice and cosy village to the waterfalls. The falls are located in an unspoiled nature reserve. There are three consecutive waterfalls: the Grand Saut with a height of 45 meters, la Redole of 27 meters, and the Queue de Cheval of 60 meters; the latter collapses into the Inferno breach. The paths of the park Vuillier (private property) leading to the waterfalls are uneven, sometimes steep and slippery, stairs carved into the rock or via metal stairs. At the first waterfall Monique decided to sit on the terrace of the tavern and enjoy the beautiful view. I decided to descend further to the other falls. Along the way I discovered, besides the beautiful waterfalls, also mountain gorges with lush vegetation; a true spectacle of nature in all its glory. After this walking tour of about an hour I came back to the cafe. Tired but satisfied, I sat down on a chair. It was a fun challenge and luckily I was wearing sturdy walking shoes.
To end the afternoon, we walked through the Parc Vuillier on the outskirts of Gimel, and visited the ruins of the castle. After which we drove to Corrèze, where the “camping municipal” was our resting place for the next two nights.

Day 9
No tough trips today. Enjoy the "Indian Summer", a beautiful late summer, and a walk along the river Corrèze and through the medieval village centre of Corrèze.
Our first stop is the beautiful chapel Notre-Dame du Pont du Salut, on the bank of the river. Next to it is an old stone bridge with two arches over the river. An idyllic location! We bumped into the pastor. He told us that every year on September 8, many pilgrims arrive for worship. The village is also a place of pilgrimage on the route to Santiago di Compostella.
We walk on to the village. The “Gate Margot” gives access to the medieval part of the city and we arrive at the church square. Listed as a Historical Monuments, the gate features a niche with a statue of Saint Martial of Limoges. The Saint Martial Church dates from the 12th, 13th and 15th centuries. There are some Renaissance houses around the church.
The centre is not big and we soon visit the only terrace in Corrèze for a fresh beer.
Day 10
The next stop on our route is Argentat - the town of the “gabare” skippers. We walk from the campsite to the centre via the banks of the river Espérance.
The town's main asset is the quay “quai Lestourgie”, where many “gabare” boats used to moor (ships with flat bottom intended to be able to sail on the shallow river despite the heavy loads, usually wood). A cosy quay with picturesque facades and with several restaurants and terraces.
We would have liked a trip with a gabare boat, but all trips were already fully booked until the end of September!
After a nice lunch we stroll around a bit and start the way back. The rest of the afternoon and evening we enjoy the beautiful weather in our camper. Lazy in a couch. Blissful.
Day 11
Today's destination: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. We are in the south of the Corrèze, but we imagine ourselves, partly due to the high temperatures (32 ° C in the shade) and the palm trees, on the Cote d’Azur.
We enter the historic city centre, which is located about 500m from the camper place, through the chapel gate, “Porte de la Chapelle”. The narrow cobblestone streets are surrounded by beautiful old buildings. A stately Romanesque abbey church from the 9th century appears on a small square (place de la Bridolle) further on. In St. Peter's Church, after having lit the light in the glass etagere ourselves, we discover a very beautiful statue of the Virgin and Child, apparently from the 12th century.
We strolled a bit further and thought it was time for an ice cream. In a narrow street behind the church is a pancake house, but again bad luck; it was closed on Friday.
After crossing the medieval core, we arrive at the chapel of the Penitents with a beautiful bell gable with five openings. A special location on the banks of the Dordogne. It was a pleasant walk along the river. The sight was beautiful. I thought it was a very photogenic location.
Day 12
Another highlight of our trip in the Limousin is Collonges-La-Rouge!
Due to the presence of many tourists, as a result of the current corona measures, it was mandatory to wear a mouth mask throughout the village!
This medieval village is famous for its houses made of red sandstone (the sandstone looks red because of the presence of a lot of iron ore. The oxidation gives the stone its bright red colour).
In the sixteenth century, the pretty village developed into a kind of holiday resort. The elite around the Viscount of Turenne thought it was a great place to stay in the summer. This was accompanied by a building craze, as witnessed by the beautiful houses and the small castles that can be found in the village.
The first building we noticed when entering the village was the Castel de Vassinhac. This castle was built at the end of the sixteenth century by the lord of the village. The castle with its beautiful pepper-bust turrets was intended as a palace. The loopholes in the towers were only present for decoration.
We could not resist and visited the castle. We were received by the very enthusiastic "castle lady". When she heard that we were from Belgium she was even more enthusiastic (her grandmother was from Ypres). After she gave us an extensive explanation, we could go around all the rooms at our leisure. None of them were finished with cords or anything. Extraordinarily beautiful.
We have visited many castles in the past. This interior is just as beautiful as that of the castles of the Loire.
A nice anecdote is that the intention is to convert the historic bedrooms into a B&B later on. Seems like a wonderful location to wake up to.
Then we were charmed by the numerous old buildings during the walk through the village. The inside of St. Peter's Church looked very special because of the red stone.
The many shops were attractive and invited to buy souvenirs or local artifacts. The terraces were full and luckily we found a few more places. We now compensated the ice cream that we had to miss on day 11 with a delicious ice cream sundae.

Collonges-La-Rouge is deservedly on the list: "most beautiful villages in France".
Day 13
We started our journey through the Limousin with an overnight stay at a bison farm. Today we decide again to spend the night on a free camper place from the catalogue of France Passion. Again they are animals. Now of a different order: pigs!
“Les Délices du Gaulois” in Cublac, an open-air pig farm. We were welcomed very friendly by the manageress. She spontaneously gave us a tour of the company. They work without staff and her husband, who is also a butcher, processes the pork. Too bad, we couldn't buy meat there. Due to the small-scale cultivation, everything was already reserved until January 2021.
As mentioned, the pigs live outdoors. There are only 9 pigs per hectare! Their diet consists exclusively of grains, corn and a lot of acorns. Acorns they find in abundance on their property, where there are many oak trees. The pigs live in complete freedom and are outside day and night. Of course they have a loft where they can hide or sleep.
You actually saw that the pigs were happy. As soon as they saw us at the fence of their site, they came running, grunting loudly. I had picked up a supply of acorns and they ate them eagerly.
Adjacent to the area where we stood (by the way, we had the entire meadow to ourselves) was a sow with 11 piglets. Also in complete freedom. It was very cute to see the small animals.
You would think, sleeping next to pigs, what about the smell? Obviously, this situation is completely different from, say, a hangar with hundreds of pigs lying in their own manure. An activity that you can smell from within a kilometre!
We had a blissful night. Pitch dark, as quiet as a mouse and without smells! You can only smell these pigs when you are standing right next to them.
Day 14
Our last destination was the village of Arnac-Pompadour, namely in the hamlet of Pompadour, named together with the castle after the builder of the castle by the same name: Geoffroy de Pompadour. Louis XV gave it to his mistress, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson. She was given the title of marquise by the king and was better known as “Madame de Pompadour”.
We enter through the stately entrance. It is flanked by two impressive peppercorn towers. As at all locations, there are also few people here, so we could take off our mouth mask almost everywhere. We walked through the eleven furnished rooms. Includes a 19th century library and a room with Aubusson tapestries. These are from the same period as the carpets we saw in the Aubusson museum. All the rooms are beautifully presented, partly due to the mannequin dolls dressed in 18th century clothing.
Back outside we enjoyed the beautiful garden and went to the stables. The beautiful horses looked at us a little uninterested. Too bad we weren't allowed to touch them. The stud farm is the main breeding of Anglo-Arabian horses and also houses the famous horse riding school. We find those horses in the Orangerie stables.
The riding school is located just outside the castle on the other side of the avenue. There was no activity at the time of our visit.
The internationally renowned horse racing track is located just outside the village. It has a sandy track of 2000 meters and is also known for its natural hedges. In summer it can be very busy on the days when competitions are held. We could only view the racecourse from a distance.
We spent our last evening in the Limousin at a municipal campsite in Lubersac. The nice thing was that the campsite is located on a lake. It was still warm, making it nice to stay by the water.
Day 15
The stopover on the return journey is again the camper place in Dreux. An easy location and it's half way home. Enjoy the warm late summer at the camper

Day 16
It's time to drive home. On the way we look back on what was another beautiful trip. With picturesque villages, medieval buildings, beautiful nature and lakes. We met friendly and grateful people and had nice contacts. And important in these times; we could keep it safe.
Summary overnight stays
Camping-Car Park de Dreux - Rue Jean-Louis Chanoine 28100 Dreux - 9pl / 11 € - all amenities - GPS: N 48.74029, E 1.33227 - pay via account camping-car park and entrance with pass Etapes card. Since we have the privilege pack, we reserved a place in advance. Also for the way back. Quiet camper place ideal as a stopover. Nice anecdote: It is provided that you spend the night at the motorhome and can book a package to visit Paris.

Motorhome stopover France Passion - bison farm at Jean Lutier - 5pl - no amenities - Lieu dit “Chez Peyrut”, 87330 Saint-Martial-sur-Isop - GPS: N 46.16049, E 000.89832. Place enough on the meadow that is used as a camper stop. Very peaceful. Together with the owner we made a tour among the bison. Very special; read more about this in our travelogue

Official Motorhome stopover: Rue du Stade, Oradour-sur-Glane - 30pl / free - facilities without electricity - GPS: N 45.93570, E 1.02471 - at ± 1km from the memorial centre. It is a quiet camper place located on sports grounds. The places are narrow. But for 1 night this is no problem for us.

Camping de Beaufort: Moulin de Beaufort (Lieu-dit Beaufort) 87400 Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - 17 € / night + 1 € tourist tax (TT) - all amenities - spacious pitches delimited by hedges. Due to the corona measures, the sanitary blocks (like all other campsites) are cleaned several times a day. Showers were 1 € with plenty of warm (hot) water.

Parking Champ de Foire: Official camper place - Rue des Fusilles, 988 Aubusson - 70pl / free - service station, no electricity - GPS: n45.95694 e2.17528 - 500m from the centre It is a very large mixed car park. During the day there are of course many passenger cars, but there is enough space. Normally it is quiet in the evening, but because it was still warm that night, we had a lot of noise from the open windows of the adjacent (social) apartments.

Camping La Presqu’île: - Broussas - 23460 Royère de Vassivière - 17 € / night + 0.40 € TT - all amenities - our pitch was slightly higher, giving us a beautiful view of the lake. Minus point: to reach the place you have to go up the steep slope. The rear bumper of our motorhome hit the ground. There was a completely new sanitary building.

Official motorhome site Meymac: at the bottom of the camping municipale de la Garenne - Boulevard de la Garenne, 19250 Meymac. 30pl / free - service station, no power - 500m from the town. Our intention was to be on the campsite to have electricity. There were no managers present and we looked for a place. We were soon referred by the few campers present to another place on the campsite; so to speak because we had no satellite connection with them. Already seemed very bizarre. We found a nicer place and wanted to fill up with fresh water first. At that moment the manageress arrived who told us very unfriendly that we could not take water and only had to fill up with water at the bottom of the camper stop. We then kindly thanked her and installed ourselves downstairs on the motorhome. We had no electricity, but saved the 11 € camping fee. That campsite is the first campsite that we strongly advise against!

Camping municipal Corrèze - Rue de la Chapelle, Corrèze - 9 € / night - all amenities - 650 from the centre - GPS: N 45.37167, E 1.88005. We paid € 18.80 for two nights, including tourist tax. It was a bit confusing on arrival. The campsite has 3 locations marked with 1 sign: campsite A, campsite B and campsite C. A is a motorhome pitch with 10 places. But only suitable for vans and smaller campers. We could not turn in the places because the trees were much too low. B is located a little further and can only be reached via a narrow bridge (2.10 m wide). It is therefore only accessible for bus campers and campers with a tent. We eventually found a place at camp site C. It is a pleasant camp site with spacious marked out pitches. Plumbing is outdated, but was clean. The friendly manager will receive you on site.

camping municipal - Route du Longour, 19400 Argentat - 21 € / night - all amenities - spacious pitches - new sanitary facilities, only accessible with code. Showers 1 €. Immediately at the campsite, a small road that then runs further along the water to the town is ± 800m to the centre

Aire de Camping-Car - Rue du Général de Gaulle, 19120 Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne - 20pl / 6 € - all amenities - 500m from centre. Elongated camper place where all campers are opposite the road. At the rear is a rugby field. On the second part it is now planned that there are two campers between the trees. The places are so narrow that you can barely open your door. We, like everyone else on that area, stood alone among the trees. You can say; egoistic, but there are still enough places left, more than the 20 proposed places.

Parking Le Marchadial: official camper place Collonges-La-Rouge - GPS: N 45.05833, E 001.65889 - 40pl / 8 € - all amenities - 500m from the beautiful village. Since you only have to pay from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., there are many campers during the day that only park to visit the village. So there are few free places during the day. I think 10 am is the ideal time to arrive. The first overnighters have left and the day tourists have not arrived yet.

Motorhome stopover France Passion: Les Délices du Gaulois, pig farm (in the open air) - Les Granges, 19520 Cublac - 5pl / free - there could be more campers, we had the entire camper place to ourselves - GPS: N 45.15946 E 001.28463. It was a nice experience to spend the night there. The very friendly owners gave us a tour of the nursery. Too bad we couldn't buy meat. All products that come from their breeding have already been reserved until January 2021. The pigs live in the open air and have a place to sleep on their premises. There are only 9 to 12 pigs per hectare. They live a luxurious life and eat a lot of acorns outside of their diet. Their domain is full of oak trees.

campsite La vénèzie: Route de Saint-Pardoux, 19210 Lubersac - 17 € / night - all amenities - beautiful campsite, but few camping pitches - most of the pitches are lodges and residential caravans (almost no occupancy) - here too we were the only campers. The sanitary complex was very clean. Our only intention for this location was to stay overnight. It was nice because the campsite is located on a lake. In good weather it is very busy.



Most camper pitches where we stayed overnight were in the immediate vicinity of the places we visited. In the towns where we did not stay overnight, we found a decent parking space near the centre. That was for the following places:

Limoges: In Limoges itself, all parking spaces and parking are only suitable for passenger cars. We parked just outside the centre in a large free car park at rue Victor Duruy. Via the avenue Jean Gagnant it is 800 m to the centre.
Gimel-les-Cascades: Parking Le Bourg. Just before entering Gimel a narrow road leads down to the car parks. One of them is also a camper place with 20 free places. There is also a service station. GPS: N 45.30215, E 001.85186. Due to the corona pandemic, there were far fewer tourists (only French… and us), but in normal circumstances the falls are very busy and it will be difficult to find a parking space.
Arnac-Pompadour: Place du Château. Ample free parking along the avenue immediately at the castle of "mde de Pompadour". Please note that there is also a car park at the front of the castle, but campers are not allowed to park (it is very unclear).

E-mail: info@dmcamperreizen.be

Copyright © DMCamperreizen 2018.
All right reserved.
The old Oradour can only be reached via a tunnel that runs under the road. This departs from the visitor centre, which was built in 1999. After visiting the visitor centre we entered the tunnel. There are two huge signs with the photos of the identified victims. It took a while to see the many photos.

Most people walked modestly through what was once a prosperous village. A village with a tram line, hotel, cafes, bakeries, boys 'and girls' school ... Seeing the totally destroyed houses, the car wrecks, here and there a sober sign indicating the places where the men of the village were drawn up for execution . We fell silent. Everything was there as at the time of the German invasion. The village doctor's car in front of the bicycle shop he was visiting, the cooking pots still hanging above the hearth. And then the church… where the great drama took place. You imagine it: stuffed with women and children and then a big bang. Horrifying.

The village itself was completely rebuilt a kilometre further after the war.
Day 4
Today a visit to Limoges is on the program. The capital of the porcelain. Before our trip, I contacted the Limoges tourist office. During my preparations, I noticed that there were few options for parking the motorhome. They referred us to a large car park just outside the centre. If necessary, you can take the bus to the centre. See the bottom of the report for more details on this.
Despite the busy traffic, the city centre looked deserted. No people in the shopping streets, lots of space on the terraces. We find the city itself gray, it does not look cosy. It is even a matter of looking for a store where they offer the (much too expensive) porcelain.
Most of the activity takes place on Motteplein, a pleasant and lively place with terraces and cafes. The 19th century market halls are also located on this square. Inside, between the stalls with regional products, there was a pleasant bustle. A true food paradise. We had a delicious meal on one of the many terraces in and around the halls.
Day 6
We enter the Regional Natural Park of Millevaches and in the heart of the park make our way to Lake Vassivière. Due to its size and rugged outline (47 km shores and more than 1000 ha of water), it looks a bit like the great Scandinavian lake areas.
We settle down at La Presqu’île campsite, on the shores of the lake. Standing a little higher, we have a beautiful view of the lake.
The intention was to take a taxi boat to the island of Vassivière in the middle of the lake. On the island you could enjoy walking and you can visit a farm where you can enjoy regional products. However, the tourist season was over and we had to wait more than two hours for the next taxi boat. And meant that we could only stay on the island for an hour. The island can also be reached via a bridge. From the car park on the edge of the bridge you can reach the island with the "petit train" or on foot. The bridge is located about six kilometres from the campsite, and it was a bit too far for us to go there on foot.
We decided to take a walk on the shores of the lake, which was also very pleasant and restful. Relax regularly and enjoy the panoramic view of the lake. We are sorry that we did not encounter a single bench, a lack around this beautiful lake.
In the evening we enjoyed the beautiful view and the setting sun on the lake from our camper.
Day 7
We take a tour through the regional park of Millevaches. A beautiful nature reserve. The name "thousand cows" would make you think of many Limousin cows you see in the area (a little embarrassing to say, but it is very tasty meat).
Partly true: an old legend tells how a shepherdess had to tend a thousand cows. In a heavy thunderstorm she lost them all, and as punishment all the cows were turned into boulders of bizarre shapes. A more plausible explanation would be that the name comes from a compound of the Gallic word “melo”, meaning mountain, hill, with the Latin word “vacua” meaning empty, deserted. "The deserted mountain" is a description that corresponds to what is known about the area between the third century and the beginning of the Middle Ages, when the region was completely deserted. Yet a recent study returns to 'water', based on the Limousin dialect where gacho means 'mud' or 'swamp'; near the village of Millevaches not only the Vienne rises, but there are indeed several sources and also a marsh.

We ride along steep and winding roads through the varied landscapes: along a rocky mountain range (the mountain range of Monédières) and via the village of Millevache along the wetlands of Longeyroux.
In this way we arrive in the historic town of Meymac. We walk through the atmospheric, but deserted streets of the historic centre. Unfortunately it is Monday; the museum and the few shops are closed.
We walk along the old hall from the 16th century, a former hospital, the clock tower and a beautiful fountain of Volvic stone at the town hall.

The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-André-Saint-Léger, founded at the end of the 11th century, adjoins the beautiful Romanesque church. The abbey houses the Marius Vazeilles museum, dedicated to the history of the Millevaches plateau. But as said it was closed that day. In the church we could see a beautiful Black Virgin from the 12th century.
Day 8
In the morning we waved goodbye to a few pilgrims from the camper place in Meymac. They spent the night on the adjacent campsite (where we had an unpleasant meeting with the manageress - see the bottom of the overnight stay overview). They continue their walk, accompanied by their donkey.
We drove under a bright sun to the waterfalls of Gimel. Following our GPS we arrived on the wrong side of the village of Gimel-les-Cascades. We were at the falls, but had nowhere to park our camper. Turning around was almost impossible.
The only option left was to drive over the narrow stone bridge to the other side of the village. Which was not really intended. There was less than 5cm free space on both sides. I didn't have to fold my mirrors, they were above the stone railing. I rode up the bridge at walking pace. In the meantime, several spectators were already watching our manoeuvre. Monique gave me excellent guidance to the other side. Undamaged we were able to cross the village to the car parks.
We then returned on foot through the small, but surprisingly nice and cosy village to the waterfalls. The falls are located in an unspoiled nature reserve. There are three consecutive waterfalls: the Grand Saut with a height of 45 meters, la Redole of 27 meters, and the Queue de Cheval of 60 meters; the latter collapses into the Inferno breach. The paths of the park Vuillier (private property) leading to the waterfalls are uneven, sometimes steep and slippery, stairs carved into the rock or via metal stairs. At the first waterfall Monique decided to sit on the terrace of the tavern and enjoy the beautiful view. I decided to descend further to the other falls. Along the way I discovered, besides the beautiful waterfalls, also mountain gorges with lush vegetation; a true spectacle of nature in all its glory. After this walking tour of about an hour I came back to the cafe. Tired but satisfied, I sat down on a chair. It was a fun challenge and luckily I was wearing sturdy walking shoes.
To end the afternoon, we walked through the Parc Vuillier on the outskirts of Gimel, and visited the ruins of the castle. After which we drove to Corrèze, where the “camping municipal” was our resting place for the next two nights.

Day 9
No tough trips today. Enjoy the "Indian Summer", a beautiful late summer, and a walk along the river Corrèze and through the medieval village centre of Corrèze.
Our first stop is the beautiful chapel Notre-Dame du Pont du Salut, on the bank of the river. Next to it is an old stone bridge with two arches over the river. An idyllic location! We bumped into the pastor. He told us that every year on September 8, many pilgrims arrive for worship. The village is also a place of pilgrimage on the route to Santiago di Compostella.
We walk on to the village. The “Gate Margot” gives access to the medieval part of the city and we arrive at the church square. Listed as a Historical Monuments, the gate features a niche with a statue of Saint Martial of Limoges. The Saint Martial Church dates from the 12th, 13th and 15th centuries. There are some Renaissance houses around the church.
The centre is not big and we soon visit the only terrace in Corrèze for a fresh beer.
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’s Namiddags keren we terug naar Waldshut en de camperplaats voor de nacht.  In het stadje krijgen we een stevige regenbui. Lang leve de ijssalons als schuilplaats. Ook de porties ijs zijn van Duits formaat, gewoon reusachtig.
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Dag 10
Een panoramaroute liep langs de schilderachtige valleien en heuvels van het Zwarte Woud. Langs plaatsjes zoals Hochenschwand, Todnau, Bernau, Feldberg,  en via Titisee (waar we toch maar een koekoeksklok kopen) rijden we verder naar Altglashütten.  De camperplaats ligt net buiten het dorp naast de spoorweg (gelukkig net buiten gebruik wegens herstellingswerken – normaal twee treinen per dag).  Het dorp is de dag van vandaag bekend als skioord, doch heeft zijn ontstaan te danken aan de bouw van een glasfabriek in 1609. Vele glasblazers vestigden zich er. Het heeft een mooie kerk en één van de weinige resterende glasblazerijen. De man zit gewoon in zijn winkel te werken.  Er zijn prachtige dingen te koop van kleine juweeltjes (ringen, oorbellen, diertjes) tot glazen, vazen enz.  En de prijzen zijn zeer schappelijk. De omgeving nodigt uit tot het maken van lange wandelingen.
Dag 11
De laatste dag van ons bezoek aan het Zwarte Woud  rijden we terug huiswaarts. Niet rechtstreeks. Opnieuw nemen we een tussenstop aan de Moezel. Dit keer trekken we naar Minheim (het zonne-eiland), een klein maar romantische wijndorpje verscholen aan een bocht in het schitterende Moezel landschap. Het dorp telt 452 inwoners en maar liefst 13 wijnhuizen.
De camperplaats (90 plaatsen), ligt vlak aan de rivier. Mooi, rustig, ruime plaatsen met alle voorzieningen (water, elektriciteit en loospunt). ’s Morgens brengt de bakker het daags voordien bestelde brood en koeken.  Tussen de wijngaarden en wijnhuizen tref je er enkele restaurants en één winkel (van diezelfde bakker, tevens een minisupermarkt met een relatief ruim assortiment aan taart, charcuterie, groenten, fruit, kranten, boekjes en zelfs postzegels!). Tijdens ons bezoek heerste er een gezellige sfeer en drukte. Het was feest in het dorp met orkestjes die speelden op de pleinen, en drank- en wijnstandjes alom.
Dag 12
Na het optrekken van de ochtendmist die in slierten over het water hing, scheen het zonnetje opnieuw heerlijk. We besloten om toch terug naar huis te rijden.

We waren blij dat we deze streek na al de jaren, toch nog eens bezocht hebben. Terugkeren naar het Zwarte Woud is altijd leuk en aangenaam om te verblijven.
Overzicht overnachtingen
Camperplaats Wohnmobilstellplatz del Mosel – Mehring: bij boerderij/wijnboer - 72 plaatsen – 10€ - men komt ter plaatse ontvangen tussen 17 en 18u. Servicevoorzieningen water: 1€ - stroom: 2€. Mooie, rustige ligging. Ideaal aan het water. Restaurant met groot terras aan de camperplaats.

Camping Bühlhof - Hinterzarten (Titisee): 27,75€/nacht (toeristenbelastingen stroom inbegrepen). Oudere camping maar wel zeer netjes en goed onderhouden. Geen specifieke plaatsen voor motorhomes. Wel alle voorzieningen. Zeer ruime plaatsen van 120 m². Op het ogenblik dat wij er waren was het er niet zo rustig. Veel kleine tentjes en groepen. Maakten nogal wat lawaai. De weg naar de camping is zeer steil.

Officiële camperplaats Parking Aqua Fun – Schluchsee: 22 plaatsen, doch er staan ook veel campers op de rest van de parking – 10€ betaalautomaat. Normaal moet je je toeristenbelasting betaling in het toerismebureau van Schluchsee. Wij gingen er op zondag informeren. Gezien ze geen formulieren meer hadden dienden we niet te betalen. Men was verwonderd dat we wilden betalen. Nooit komt iemand van de camperplaats toeristenbelasting betalen!
Servicevoorzieningen water: 1€ - stroom: 1€/8u. ’s Avonds zeer rustig.

Camperpark Wohmobil-Park - Waldshut-Tiengen: 44 plaatsen – 12€ betaalautomaat. Servicevoorzieningen: water 1€/100l – stroom: 1€/kwh. De camperplaats is luxueus afgewerkt! De camperplaatsen zijn voorzien voor verschillende lengtes. Zo staan bvb alle vans samen. Aan de overzijde van de straat is de camping gelegen. Je mag er alle sanitaire voorzieningen gebruiken. Er is ook een groot restaurant.

Officiële camperplaats – Altglashütten (Feldberg): 16 plaatsen – 8€ aan betaalautomaat. Servicevoorzieningen: water 1€/100l – stroom: 1€/8u. Zeer rustige camperplaats. Ideaal als je op doorreis bent. Aan het begin van de parking is een café-restaurant gelegen. Dit is ook het station waar je een trein kan nemen.

Camperpark Reisemobilpark Sonneninsel – Minheim: 90 plaatsen – 7,20€, men komt ter plaatse ontvangen rond 18u. Servicevoorzieningen: water 1€/100l – stroom: 1€/2 kwh. Er is ’s morgens een broodjesservice, verzorgd door de lokale bakker.
E-mail: info@dmcamperreizen.be

Copyright © DMCamperreizen 2018.
All right reserved.
The most beautiful place, in our opinion, is the area around Saint Etienne Cathedral, a remarkable example of Gothic art. Next to the cathedral are the Bishop's gardens, very beautiful terraced gardens that hang over the river Vienne. An ideal place to stroll, but also to admire the many plant species of the botanical garden. Adjacent to the gardens, the Bishop's Municipal Museum is housed in the former episcopal palace.
After the visit of Limoges, we continue to the campsite of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to spend the night.
Day 5
After having parked in the large mixed car park, we walk to the old town of Aubusson. Despite the fact that it is Saturday, there are also very few people here.
We strolled through the picturesque alleys, spotting houses with turrets, old houses and fountains. It also looks a bit gray. This is due to the ubiquitous granite stone used extensively in the architecture of the city.
Via the stairs to the "cinema" we visit the higher situated Sainte-Croix church. An example of Romanesque art.

Aubusson is known worldwide for its carpet industry. A great handicraft tradition that is six centuries old. We should certainly not miss a visit to the departmental museum for the carpet industry. Inside we saw unique pieces from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. There were also some temporary exhibitions of contemporary works. Afterwards we took a break on a terrace in the city centre.
Day 6
We enter the Regional Natural Park of Millevaches and in the heart of the park make our way to Lake Vassivière. Due to its size and rugged outline (47 km shores and more than 1000 ha of water), it looks a bit like the great Scandinavian lake areas.
We settle down at La Presqu’île campsite, on the shores of the lake. Standing a little higher, we have a beautiful view of the lake.
The intention was to take a taxi boat to the island of Vassivière in the middle of the lake. On the island you could enjoy walking and you can visit a farm where you can enjoy regional products. However, the tourist season was over and we had to wait more than two hours for the next taxi boat. And meant that we could only stay on the island for an hour. The island can also be reached via a bridge. From the car park on the edge of the bridge you can reach the island with the "petit train" or on foot. The bridge is located about six kilometres from the campsite, and it was a bit too far for us to go there on foot.
We decided to take a walk on the shores of the lake, which was also very pleasant and restful. Relax regularly and enjoy the panoramic view of the lake. We are sorry that we did not encounter a single bench, a lack around this beautiful lake.
In the evening we enjoyed the beautiful view and the setting sun on the lake from our camper.
Day 7
We take a tour through the regional park of Millevaches. A beautiful nature reserve. The name "thousand cows" would make you think of many Limousin cows you see in the area (a little embarrassing to say, but it is very tasty meat).
Partly true: an old legend tells how a shepherdess had to tend a thousand cows. In a heavy thunderstorm she lost them all, and as punishment all the cows were turned into boulders of bizarre shapes. A more plausible explanation would be that the name comes from a compound of the Gallic word “melo”, meaning mountain, hill, with the Latin word “vacua” meaning empty, deserted. "The deserted mountain" is a description that corresponds to what is known about the area between the third century and the beginning of the Middle Ages, when the region was completely deserted. Yet a recent study returns to 'water', based on the Limousin dialect where gacho means 'mud' or 'swamp'; near the village of Millevaches not only the Vienne rises, but there are indeed several sources and also a marsh.

We ride along steep and winding roads through the varied landscapes: along a rocky mountain range (the mountain range of Monédières) and via the village of Millevache along the wetlands of Longeyroux.
In this way we arrive in the historic town of Meymac. We walk through the atmospheric, but deserted streets of the historic centre. Unfortunately it is Monday; the museum and the few shops are closed.
We walk along the old hall from the 16th century, a former hospital, the clock tower and a beautiful fountain of Volvic stone at the town hall.

The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-André-Saint-Léger, founded at the end of the 11th century, adjoins the beautiful Romanesque church. The abbey houses the Marius Vazeilles museum, dedicated to the history of the Millevaches plateau. But as said it was closed that day. In the church we could see a beautiful Black Virgin from the 12th century.
Day 8
In the morning we waved goodbye to a few pilgrims from the camper place in Meymac. They spent the night on the adjacent campsite (where we had an unpleasant meeting with the manageress - see the bottom of the overnight stay overview). They continue their walk, accompanied by their donkey.
We drove under a bright sun to the waterfalls of Gimel. Following our GPS we arrived on the wrong side of the village of Gimel-les-Cascades. We were at the falls, but had nowhere to park our camper. Turning around was almost impossible.
The only option left was to drive over the narrow stone bridge to the other side of the village. Which was not really intended. There was less than 5cm free space on both sides. I didn't have to fold my mirrors, they were above the stone railing. I rode up the bridge at walking pace. In the meantime, several spectators were already watching our manoeuvre. Monique gave me excellent guidance to the other side. Undamaged we were able to cross the village to the car parks.
We then returned on foot through the small, but surprisingly nice and cosy village to the waterfalls. The falls are located in an unspoiled nature reserve. There are three consecutive waterfalls: the Grand Saut with a height of 45 meters, la Redole of 27 meters, and the Queue de Cheval of 60 meters; the latter collapses into the Inferno breach. The paths of the park Vuillier (private property) leading to the waterfalls are uneven, sometimes steep and slippery, stairs carved into the rock or via metal stairs. At the first waterfall Monique decided to sit on the terrace of the tavern and enjoy the beautiful view. I decided to descend further to the other falls. Along the way I discovered, besides the beautiful waterfalls, also mountain gorges with lush vegetation; a true spectacle of nature in all its glory. After this walking tour of about an hour I came back to the cafe. Tired but satisfied, I sat down on a chair. It was a fun challenge and luckily I was wearing sturdy walking shoes.
To end the afternoon, we walked through the Parc Vuillier on the outskirts of Gimel, and visited the ruins of the castle. After which we drove to Corrèze, where the “camping municipal” was our resting place for the next two nights.

Day 9
No tough trips today. Enjoy the "Indian Summer", a beautiful late summer, and a walk along the river Corrèze and through the medieval village centre of Corrèze.
Our first stop is the beautiful chapel Notre-Dame du Pont du Salut, on the bank of the river. Next to it is an old stone bridge with two arches over the river. An idyllic location! We bumped into the pastor. He told us that every year on September 8, many pilgrims arrive for worship. The village is also a place of pilgrimage on the route to Santiago di Compostella.
We walk on to the village. The “Gate Margot” gives access to the medieval part of the city and we arrive at the church square. Listed as a Historical Monuments, the gate features a niche with a statue of Saint Martial of Limoges. The Saint Martial Church dates from the 12th, 13th and 15th centuries. There are some Renaissance houses around the church.
The centre is not big and we soon visit the only terrace in Corrèze for a fresh beer.
Day 10
The next stop on our route is Argentat - the town of the “gabare” skippers. We walk from the campsite to the centre via the banks of the river Espérance.
The town's main asset is the quay “quai Lestourgie”, where many “gabare” boats used to moor (ships with flat bottom intended to be able to sail on the shallow river despite the heavy loads, usually wood). A cosy quay with picturesque facades and with several restaurants and terraces.
We would have liked a trip with a gabare boat, but all trips were already fully booked until the end of September!
After a nice lunch we stroll around a bit and start the way back. The rest of the afternoon and evening we enjoy the beautiful weather in our camper. Lazy in a couch. Blissful.
Day 11
Today's destination: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. We are in the south of the Corrèze, but we imagine ourselves, partly due to the high temperatures (32 ° C in the shade) and the palm trees, on the Cote d’Azur.
We enter the historic city centre, which is located about 500m from the camper place, through the chapel gate, “Porte de la Chapelle”. The narrow cobblestone streets are surrounded by beautiful old buildings. A stately Romanesque abbey church from the 9th century appears on a small square (place de la Bridolle) further on. In St. Peter's Church, after having lit the light in the glass etagere ourselves, we discover a very beautiful statue of the Virgin and Child, apparently from the 12th century.
We strolled a bit further and thought it was time for an ice cream. In a narrow street behind the church is a pancake house, but again bad luck; it was closed on Friday.
After crossing the medieval core, we arrive at the chapel of the Penitents with a beautiful bell gable with five openings. A special location on the banks of the Dordogne. It was a pleasant walk along the river. The sight was beautiful. I thought it was a very photogenic location.
Day 12
Another highlight of our trip in the Limousin is Collonges-La-Rouge!
Due to the presence of many tourists, as a result of the current corona measures, it was mandatory to wear a mouth mask throughout the village!
This medieval village is famous for its houses made of red sandstone (the sandstone looks red because of the presence of a lot of iron ore. The oxidation gives the stone its bright red colour).
In the sixteenth century, the pretty village developed into a kind of holiday resort. The elite around the Viscount of Turenne thought it was a great place to stay in the summer. This was accompanied by a building craze, as witnessed by the beautiful houses and the small castles that can be found in the village.
The first building we noticed when entering the village was the Castel de Vassinhac. This castle was built at the end of the sixteenth century by the lord of the village. The castle with its beautiful pepper-bust turrets was intended as a palace. The loopholes in the towers were only present for decoration.
We could not resist and visited the castle. We were received by the very enthusiastic "castle lady". When she heard that we were from Belgium she was even more enthusiastic (her grandmother was from Ypres). After she gave us an extensive explanation, we could go around all the rooms at our leisure. None of them were finished with cords or anything. Extraordinarily beautiful.
We have visited many castles in the past. This interior is just as beautiful as that of the castles of the Loire.
A nice anecdote is that the intention is to convert the historic bedrooms into a B&B later on. Seems like a wonderful location to wake up to.
Then we were charmed by the numerous old buildings during the walk through the village. The inside of St. Peter's Church looked very special because of the red stone.
The many shops were attractive and invited to buy souvenirs or local artifacts. The terraces were full and luckily we found a few more places. We now compensated the ice cream that we had to miss on day 11 with a delicious ice cream sundae.

Collonges-La-Rouge is deservedly on the list: "most beautiful villages in France".
Day 13
We started our journey through the Limousin with an overnight stay at a bison farm. Today we decide again to spend the night on a free camper place from the catalogue of France Passion. Again they are animals. Now of a different order: pigs!
“Les Délices du Gaulois” in Cublac, an open-air pig farm. We were welcomed very friendly by the manageress. She spontaneously gave us a tour of the company. They work without staff and her husband, who is also a butcher, processes the pork. Too bad, we couldn't buy meat there. Due to the small-scale cultivation, everything was already reserved until January 2021.
As mentioned, the pigs live outdoors. There are only 9 pigs per hectare! Their diet consists exclusively of grains, corn and a lot of acorns. Acorns they find in abundance on their property, where there are many oak trees. The pigs live in complete freedom and are outside day and night. Of course they have a loft where they can hide or sleep.
You actually saw that the pigs were happy. As soon as they saw us at the fence of their site, they came running, grunting loudly. I had picked up a supply of acorns and they ate them eagerly.
Adjacent to the area where we stood (by the way, we had the entire meadow to ourselves) was a sow with 11 piglets. Also in complete freedom. It was very cute to see the small animals.
You would think, sleeping next to pigs, what about the smell? Obviously, this situation is completely different from, say, a hangar with hundreds of pigs lying in their own manure. An activity that you can smell from within a kilometre!
We had a blissful night. Pitch dark, as quiet as a mouse and without smells! You can only smell these pigs when you are standing right next to them.
Day 14
Our last destination was the village of Arnac-Pompadour, namely in the hamlet of Pompadour, named together with the castle after the builder of the castle by the same name: Geoffroy de Pompadour. Louis XV gave it to his mistress, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson. She was given the title of marquise by the king and was better known as “Madame de Pompadour”.
We enter through the stately entrance. It is flanked by two impressive peppercorn towers. As at all locations, there are also few people here, so we could take off our mouth mask almost everywhere. We walked through the eleven furnished rooms. Includes a 19th century library and a room with Aubusson tapestries. These are from the same period as the carpets we saw in the Aubusson museum. All the rooms are beautifully presented, partly due to the mannequin dolls dressed in 18th century clothing.
Back outside we enjoyed the beautiful garden and went to the stables. The beautiful horses looked at us a little uninterested. Too bad we weren't allowed to touch them. The stud farm is the main breeding of Anglo-Arabian horses and also houses the famous horse riding school. We find those horses in the Orangerie stables.
The riding school is located just outside the castle on the other side of the avenue. There was no activity at the time of our visit.
The internationally renowned horse racing track is located just outside the village. It has a sandy track of 2000 meters and is also known for its natural hedges. In summer it can be very busy on the days when competitions are held. We could only view the racecourse from a distance.
We spent our last evening in the Limousin at a municipal campsite in Lubersac. The nice thing was that the campsite is located on a lake. It was still warm, making it nice to stay by the water.
Day 15
The stopover on the return journey is again the camper place in Dreux. An easy location and it's half way home. Enjoy the warm late summer at the camper

Day 16
It's time to drive home. On the way we look back on what was another beautiful trip. With picturesque villages, medieval buildings, beautiful nature and lakes. We met friendly and grateful people and had nice contacts. And important in these times; we could keep it safe.
Summary overnight stays
Camping-Car Park de Dreux - Rue Jean-Louis Chanoine 28100 Dreux - 9pl / 11 € - all amenities - GPS: N 48.74029, E 1.33227 - pay via account camping-car park and entrance with pass Etapes card. Since we have the privilege pack, we reserved a place in advance. Also for the way back. Quiet camper place ideal as a stopover. Nice anecdote: It is provided that you spend the night at the motorhome and can book a package to visit Paris.

Motorhome stopover France Passion - bison farm at Jean Lutier - 5pl - no amenities - Lieu dit “Chez Peyrut”, 87330 Saint-Martial-sur-Isop - GPS: N 46.16049, E 000.89832. Place enough on the meadow that is used as a camper stop. Very peaceful. Together with the owner we made a tour among the bison. Very special; read more about this in our travelogue

Official Motorhome stopover: Rue du Stade, Oradour-sur-Glane - 30pl / free - facilities without electricity - GPS: N 45.93570, E 1.02471 - at ± 1km from the memorial centre. It is a quiet camper place located on sports grounds. The places are narrow. But for 1 night this is no problem for us.

Camping de Beaufort: Moulin de Beaufort (Lieu-dit Beaufort) 87400 Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - 17 € / night + 1 € tourist tax (TT) - all amenities - spacious pitches delimited by hedges. Due to the corona measures, the sanitary blocks (like all other campsites) are cleaned several times a day. Showers were 1 € with plenty of warm (hot) water.

Parking Champ de Foire: Official camper place - Rue des Fusilles, 988 Aubusson - 70pl / free - service station, no electricity - GPS: n45.95694 e2.17528 - 500m from the centre It is a very large mixed car park. During the day there are of course many passenger cars, but there is enough space. Normally it is quiet in the evening, but because it was still warm that night, we had a lot of noise from the open windows of the adjacent (social) apartments.

Camping La Presqu’île: - Broussas - 23460 Royère de Vassivière - 17 € / night + 0.40 € TT - all amenities - our pitch was slightly higher, giving us a beautiful view of the lake. Minus point: to reach the place you have to go up the steep slope. The rear bumper of our motorhome hit the ground. There was a completely new sanitary building.

Official motorhome site Meymac: at the bottom of the camping municipale de la Garenne - Boulevard de la Garenne, 19250 Meymac. 30pl / free - service station, no power - 500m from the town. Our intention was to be on the campsite to have electricity. There were no managers present and we looked for a place. We were soon referred by the few campers present to another place on the campsite; so to speak because we had no satellite connection with them. Already seemed very bizarre. We found a nicer place and wanted to fill up with fresh water first. At that moment the manageress arrived who told us very unfriendly that we could not take water and only had to fill up with water at the bottom of the camper stop. We then kindly thanked her and installed ourselves downstairs on the motorhome. We had no electricity, but saved the 11 € camping fee. That campsite is the first campsite that we strongly advise against!

Camping municipal Corrèze - Rue de la Chapelle, Corrèze - 9 € / night - all amenities - 650 from the centre - GPS: N 45.37167, E 1.88005. We paid € 18.80 for two nights, including tourist tax. It was a bit confusing on arrival. The campsite has 3 locations marked with 1 sign: campsite A, campsite B and campsite C. A is a motorhome pitch with 10 places. But only suitable for vans and smaller campers. We could not turn in the places because the trees were much too low. B is located a little further and can only be reached via a narrow bridge (2.10 m wide). It is therefore only accessible for bus campers and campers with a tent. We eventually found a place at camp site C. It is a pleasant camp site with spacious marked out pitches. Plumbing is outdated, but was clean. The friendly manager will receive you on site.

camping municipal - Route du Longour, 19400 Argentat - 21 € / night - all amenities - spacious pitches - new sanitary facilities, only accessible with code. Showers 1 €. Immediately at the campsite, a small road that then runs further along the water to the town is ± 800m to the centre

Aire de Camping-Car - Rue du Général de Gaulle, 19120 Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne - 20pl / 6 € - all amenities - 500m from centre. Elongated camper place where all campers are opposite the road. At the rear is a rugby field. On the second part it is now planned that there are two campers between the trees. The places are so narrow that you can barely open your door. We, like everyone else on that area, stood alone among the trees. You can say; egoistic, but there are still enough places left, more than the 20 proposed places.

Parking Le Marchadial: official camper place Collonges-La-Rouge - GPS: N 45.05833, E 001.65889 - 40pl / 8 € - all amenities - 500m from the beautiful village. Since you only have to pay from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., there are many campers during the day that only park to visit the village. So there are few free places during the day. I think 10 am is the ideal time to arrive. The first overnighters have left and the day tourists have not arrived yet.

Motorhome stopover France Passion: Les Délices du Gaulois, pig farm (in the open air) - Les Granges, 19520 Cublac - 5pl / free - there could be more campers, we had the entire camper place to ourselves - GPS: N 45.15946 E 001.28463. It was a nice experience to spend the night there. The very friendly owners gave us a tour of the nursery. Too bad we couldn't buy meat. All products that come from their breeding have already been reserved until January 2021. The pigs live in the open air and have a place to sleep on their premises. There are only 9 to 12 pigs per hectare. They live a luxurious life and eat a lot of acorns outside of their diet. Their domain is full of oak trees.

campsite La vénèzie: Route de Saint-Pardoux, 19210 Lubersac - 17 € / night - all amenities - beautiful campsite, but few camping pitches - most of the pitches are lodges and residential caravans (almost no occupancy) - here too we were the only campers. The sanitary complex was very clean. Our only intention for this location was to stay overnight. It was nice because the campsite is located on a lake. In good weather it is very busy.



Most camper pitches where we stayed overnight were in the immediate vicinity of the places we visited. In the towns where we did not stay overnight, we found a decent parking space near the centre. That was for the following places:

Limoges: In Limoges itself, all parking spaces and parking are only suitable for passenger cars. We parked just outside the centre in a large free car park at rue Victor Duruy. Via the avenue Jean Gagnant it is 800 m to the centre.
Gimel-les-Cascades: Parking Le Bourg. Just before entering Gimel a narrow road leads down to the car parks. One of them is also a camper place with 20 free places. There is also a service station. GPS: N 45.30215, E 001.85186. Due to the corona pandemic, there were far fewer tourists (only French… and us), but in normal circumstances the falls are very busy and it will be difficult to find a parking space.
Arnac-Pompadour: Place du Château. Ample free parking along the avenue immediately at the castle of "mde de Pompadour". Please note that there is also a car park at the front of the castle, but campers are not allowed to park (it is very unclear).

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Day 10
The next stop on our route is Argentat - the town of the “gabare” skippers. We walk from the campsite to the centre via the banks of the river Espérance.
The town's main asset is the quay “quai Lestourgie”, where many “gabare” boats used to moor (ships with flat bottom intended to be able to sail on the shallow river despite the heavy loads, usually wood). A cosy quay with picturesque facades and with several restaurants and terraces.
We would have liked a trip with a gabare boat, but all trips were already fully booked until the end of September!
After a nice lunch we stroll around a bit and start the way back. The rest of the afternoon and evening we enjoy the beautiful weather in our camper. Lazy in a couch. Blissful.
Day 11
Today's destination: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. We are in the south of the Corrèze, but we imagine ourselves, partly due to the high temperatures (32 ° C in the shade) and the palm trees, on the Cote d’Azur.
We enter the historic city centre, which is located about 500m from the camper place, through the chapel gate, “Porte de la Chapelle”. The narrow cobblestone streets are surrounded by beautiful old buildings. A stately Romanesque abbey church from the 9th century appears on a small square (place de la Bridolle) further on. In St. Peter's Church, after having lit the light in the glass etagere ourselves, we discover a very beautiful statue of the Virgin and Child, apparently from the 12th century.
We strolled a bit further and thought it was time for an ice cream. In a narrow street behind the church is a pancake house, but again bad luck; it was closed on Friday.
After crossing the medieval core, we arrive at the chapel of the Penitents with a beautiful bell gable with five openings. A special location on the banks of the Dordogne. It was a pleasant walk along the river. The sight was beautiful. I thought it was a very photogenic location.
Day 12
Another highlight of our trip in the Limousin is Collonges-La-Rouge!
Due to the presence of many tourists, as a result of the current corona measures, it was mandatory to wear a mouth mask throughout the village!
This medieval village is famous for its houses made of red sandstone (the sandstone looks red because of the presence of a lot of iron ore. The oxidation gives the stone its bright red colour).
In the sixteenth century, the pretty village developed into a kind of holiday resort. The elite around the Viscount of Turenne thought it was a great place to stay in the summer. This was accompanied by a building craze, as witnessed by the beautiful houses and the small castles that can be found in the village.
The first building we noticed when entering the village was the Castel de Vassinhac. This castle was built at the end of the sixteenth century by the lord of the village. The castle with its beautiful pepper-bust turrets was intended as a palace. The loopholes in the towers were only present for decoration.
We could not resist and visited the castle. We were received by the very enthusiastic "castle lady". When she heard that we were from Belgium she was even more enthusiastic (her grandmother was from Ypres). After she gave us an extensive explanation, we could go around all the rooms at our leisure. None of them were finished with cords or anything. Extraordinarily beautiful.
We have visited many castles in the past. This interior is just as beautiful as that of the castles of the Loire.
A nice anecdote is that the intention is to convert the historic bedrooms into a B&B later on. Seems like a wonderful location to wake up to.
Then we were charmed by the numerous old buildings during the walk through the village. The inside of St. Peter's Church looked very special because of the red stone.
The many shops were attractive and invited to buy souvenirs or local artifacts. The terraces were full and luckily we found a few more places. We now compensated the ice cream that we had to miss on day 11 with a delicious ice cream sundae.

Collonges-La-Rouge is deservedly on the list: "most beautiful villages in France".
Day 13
We started our journey through the Limousin with an overnight stay at a bison farm. Today we decide again to spend the night on a free camper place from the catalogue of France Passion. Again they are animals. Now of a different order: pigs!
“Les Délices du Gaulois” in Cublac, an open-air pig farm. We were welcomed very friendly by the manageress. She spontaneously gave us a tour of the company. They work without staff and her husband, who is also a butcher, processes the pork. Too bad, we couldn't buy meat there. Due to the small-scale cultivation, everything was already reserved until January 2021.
As mentioned, the pigs live outdoors. There are only 9 pigs per hectare! Their diet consists exclusively of grains, corn and a lot of acorns. Acorns they find in abundance on their property, where there are many oak trees. The pigs live in complete freedom and are outside day and night. Of course they have a loft where they can hide or sleep.
You actually saw that the pigs were happy. As soon as they saw us at the fence of their site, they came running, grunting loudly. I had picked up a supply of acorns and they ate them eagerly.
Adjacent to the area where we stood (by the way, we had the entire meadow to ourselves) was a sow with 11 piglets. Also in complete freedom. It was very cute to see the small animals.
Day 14
Our last destination was the village of Arnac-Pompadour, namely in the hamlet of Pompadour, named together with the castle after the builder of the castle by the same name: Geoffroy de Pompadour. Louis XV gave it to his mistress, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson. She was given the title of marquise by the king and was better known as “Madame de Pompadour”.
You would think, sleeping next to pigs, what about the smell? Obviously, this situation is completely different from, say, a hangar with hundreds of pigs lying in their own manure. An activity that you can smell from within a kilometre!
We had a blissful night. Pitch dark, as quiet as a mouse and without smells! You can only smell these pigs when you are standing right next to them.
We enter through the stately entrance. It is flanked by two impressive peppercorn towers. As at all locations, there are also few people here, so we could take off our mouth mask almost everywhere. We walked through the eleven furnished rooms. Includes a 19th century library and a room with Aubusson tapestries. These are from the same period as the carpets we saw in the Aubusson museum. All the rooms are beautifully presented, partly due to the mannequin dolls dressed in 18th century clothing.
Back outside we enjoyed the beautiful garden and went to the stables. The beautiful horses looked at us a little uninterested. Too bad we weren't allowed to touch them. The stud farm is the main breeding of Anglo-Arabian horses and also houses the famous horse riding school. We find those horses in the Orangerie stables.
The riding school is located just outside the castle on the other side of the avenue. There was no activity at the time of our visit.
The internationally renowned horse racing track is located just outside the village. It has a sandy track of 2000 meters and is also known for its natural hedges. In summer it can be very busy on the days when competitions are held. We could only view the racecourse from a distance.
We spent our last evening in the Limousin at a municipal campsite in Lubersac. The nice thing was that the campsite is located on a lake. It was still warm, making it nice to stay by the water.
Day 15
The stopover on the return journey is again the camper place in Dreux. An easy location and it's half way home. Enjoy the warm late summer at the camper

Day 16
It's time to drive home. On the way we look back on what was another beautiful trip. With picturesque villages, medieval buildings, beautiful nature and lakes. We met friendly and grateful people and had nice contacts. And important in these times; we could keep it safe.
Summary overnight stays
Camping-Car Park de Dreux - Rue Jean-Louis Chanoine 28100 Dreux - 9pl / 11 € - all amenities - GPS: N 48.74029, E 1.33227 - pay via account camping-car park and entrance with pass Etapes card. Since we have the privilege pack, we reserved a place in advance. Also for the way back. Quiet camper place ideal as a stopover. Nice anecdote: It is provided that you spend the night at the motorhome and can book a package to visit Paris.

Motorhome stopover France Passion - bison farm at Jean Lutier - 5pl - no amenities - Lieu dit “Chez Peyrut”, 87330 Saint-Martial-sur-Isop - GPS: N 46.16049, E 000.89832. Place enough on the meadow that is used as a camper stop. Very peaceful. Together with the owner we made a tour among the bison. Very special; read more about this in our travelogue

Official Motorhome stopover: Rue du Stade, Oradour-sur-Glane - 30pl / free - facilities without electricity - GPS: N 45.93570, E 1.02471 - at ± 1km from the memorial centre. It is a quiet camper place located on sports grounds. The places are narrow. But for 1 night this is no problem for us.

Camping de Beaufort: Moulin de Beaufort (Lieu-dit Beaufort) 87400 Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - 17 € / night + 1 € tourist tax (TT) - all amenities - spacious pitches delimited by hedges. Due to the corona measures, the sanitary blocks (like all other campsites) are cleaned several times a day. Showers were 1 € with plenty of warm (hot) water.

Parking Champ de Foire: Official camper place - Rue des Fusilles, 988 Aubusson - 70pl / free - service station, no electricity - GPS: n45.95694 e2.17528 - 500m from the centre It is a very large mixed car park. During the day there are of course many passenger cars, but there is enough space. Normally it is quiet in the evening, but because it was still warm that night, we had a lot of noise from the open windows of the adjacent (social) apartments.

Camping La Presqu’île: - Broussas - 23460 Royère de Vassivière - 17 € / night + 0.40 € TT - all amenities - our pitch was slightly higher, giving us a beautiful view of the lake. Minus point: to reach the place you have to go up the steep slope. The rear bumper of our motorhome hit the ground. There was a completely new sanitary building.

Official motorhome site Meymac: at the bottom of the camping municipale de la Garenne - Boulevard de la Garenne, 19250 Meymac. 30pl / free - service station, no power - 500m from the town. Our intention was to be on the campsite to have electricity. There were no managers present and we looked for a place. We were soon referred by the few campers present to another place on the campsite; so to speak because we had no satellite connection with them. Already seemed very bizarre. We found a nicer place and wanted to fill up with fresh water first. At that moment the manageress arrived who told us very unfriendly that we could not take water and only had to fill up with water at the bottom of the camper stop. We then kindly thanked her and installed ourselves downstairs on the motorhome. We had no electricity, but saved the 11 € camping fee. That campsite is the first campsite that we strongly advise against!

Camping municipal Corrèze - Rue de la Chapelle, Corrèze - 9 € / night - all amenities - 650 from the centre - GPS: N 45.37167, E 1.88005. We paid € 18.80 for two nights, including tourist tax. It was a bit confusing on arrival. The campsite has 3 locations marked with 1 sign: campsite A, campsite B and campsite C. A is a motorhome pitch with 10 places. But only suitable for vans and smaller campers. We could not turn in the places because the trees were much too low. B is located a little further and can only be reached via a narrow bridge (2.10 m wide). It is therefore only accessible for bus campers and campers with a tent. We eventually found a place at camp site C. It is a pleasant camp site with spacious marked out pitches. Plumbing is outdated, but was clean. The friendly manager will receive you on site.

camping municipal - Route du Longour, 19400 Argentat - 21 € / night - all amenities - spacious pitches - new sanitary facilities, only accessible with code. Showers 1 €. Immediately at the campsite, a small road that then runs further along the water to the town is ± 800m to the centre

Aire de Camping-Car - Rue du Général de Gaulle, 19120 Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne - 20pl / 6 € - all amenities - 500m from centre. Elongated camper place where all campers are opposite the road. At the rear is a rugby field. On the second part it is now planned that there are two campers between the trees. The places are so narrow that you can barely open your door. We, like everyone else on that area, stood alone among the trees. You can say; egoistic, but there are still enough places left, more than the 20 proposed places.

Parking Le Marchadial: official camper place Collonges-La-Rouge - GPS: N 45.05833, E 001.65889 - 40pl / 8 € - all amenities - 500m from the beautiful village. Since you only have to pay from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., there are many campers during the day that only park to visit the village. So there are few free places during the day. I think 10 am is the ideal time to arrive. The first overnighters have left and the day tourists have not arrived yet.

Motorhome stopover France Passion: Les Délices du Gaulois, pig farm (in the open air) - Les Granges, 19520 Cublac - 5pl / free - there could be more campers, we had the entire camper place to ourselves - GPS: N 45.15946 E 001.28463. It was a nice experience to spend the night there. The very friendly owners gave us a tour of the nursery. Too bad we couldn't buy meat. All products that come from their breeding have already been reserved until January 2021. The pigs live in the open air and have a place to sleep on their premises. There are only 9 to 12 pigs per hectare. They live a luxurious life and eat a lot of acorns outside of their diet. Their domain is full of oak trees.

campsite La vénèzie: Route de Saint-Pardoux, 19210 Lubersac - 17 € / night - all amenities - beautiful campsite, but few camping pitches - most of the pitches are lodges and residential caravans (almost no occupancy) - here too we were the only campers. The sanitary complex was very clean. Our only intention for this location was to stay overnight. It was nice because the campsite is located on a lake. In good weather it is very busy.


Most camper pitches where we stayed overnight were in the immediate vicinity of the places we visited. In the towns where we did not stay overnight, we found a decent parking space near the centre. That was for the following places:

Limoges: In Limoges itself, all parking spaces and parking are only suitable for passenger cars. We parked just outside the centre in a large free car park at rue Victor Duruy. Via the avenue Jean Gagnant it is 800 m to the centre.
Gimel-les-Cascades: Parking Le Bourg. Just before entering Gimel a narrow road leads down to the car parks. One of them is also a camper place with 20 free places. There is also a service station. GPS: N 45.30215, E 001.85186. Due to the corona pandemic, there were far fewer tourists (only French… and us), but in normal circumstances the falls are very busy and it will be difficult to find a parking space.
Arnac-Pompadour: Place du Château. Ample free parking along the avenue immediately at the castle of "mde de Pompadour". Please note that there is also a car park at the front of the castle, but campers are not allowed to park (it is very unclear).
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