Nature and cycling holidays in the Périgord Regional Nature Park – Limousin

After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, you’re full of energy and ready for your first day on the winding roads of the Limousin! 🚴

Setting off from the Le Relais de Comodoliac hotel and restaurant, we invite you to embark on the first 8 km stage of your first proper day of cycling and nature holidays in the Périgord– Limousin Regional Nature Park. 🍃

Your day begins with a local encounter.🧑‍🌾

We’ll meet you at the Ferme de la Pensée Sauvage to discover Julie and Christophe, a father and daughter passionate about their work in organic farming, who will help you discover and taste the farm’s products: herbal tea, syrup, etc. 🥕🧺

If you come in summer, visits are organized on Wednesdays with the program: tour of the farm, animation on biodiversity in the garden, animal feeding and product tasting/tasting.

Don’t hesitate to contact them to organize your visit, by telephone on 06 78 22 35 03 or by e-mail at [email protected]

Have your discussions with Julie and Christophe whetted your appetite? 😋

Head for the next stop on your 2nd day of vacation in Périgord-Limousin at the Castel de Glane restaurant. On the menu: fresh, local produce for a moment full of flavor! 🥗

From Tuesday to Friday lunchtime, the restaurant offers daily menus for around twenty euros with starter, main course, dessert or starter + main course or main course + dessert.

There’s also a takeaway option. At weekends, you’ll find à la carte dishes as well as menus to delight your taste buds.

To make your afternoon a bit easier and to avoid being stuck with your luggage, we recommend stopping off atthe Saint-Junien Tourist Office after lunch to leave your luggage there. That way, you can go for a stroll around the Corot site at your leisure. 🍃

To help with digestion, why not take a stroll along the Feutrières footpath beside the Glane?🚶‍♂️‍➡️

You can leave your bikes at the picnic area to the left of Avenue Corot – do remember to lock them securely.

You’re now set off on a 6.3 km walk – about an hour and a half’s walk – along one of the Haute-Vienne’s must-see trails Limousin.

On the agenda: exploring the area’s natural, scenic and historical heritage.🍃

We’ve included a video clip of your upcoming walk.

Once you’ve finished your ride along the Feutrières trail, take a quick break to have a drink before hopping back on your bikes and heading towards Rochechouart, stopping off at the Saint-Junien tourist office to collect your belongings.

You’ll set off on a cycle ride lasting around an hour along the roads of the Limousin. 🚴‍♀️

A complete immersion in the countryside of the Limousin, with its winding country lanes. 🍃

Once you’ve arrived, we invite you to wander through the town’s streets to Rochechouart Castle. 🏰

Since 1985, this château has been home to the Haute-Vienne Museum of Contemporary Art. 🎨

Discover Rochechouart’s architectural heritage, including its houses, the church and part of the château built from impactite – a rock formed following a meteorite impact 200 million years ago. To find out more about Rochechouart, guided tours are organised by the tourist office.

At the end of your stroll through the town, head to the ‘Dans l’même panier’ grocery shop to book your picnic for the following day.

The end of the day is approaching, and after a day full of discovery, come and rest your legs at the Estaminet du Château. You can either go straight to the restaurant after your visit to Rochechouart (the restaurant is right in the center of town), or you can first go and freshen up at your host for the night , the Manoir des Perrières, and then go to the restaurant. The restaurant l’Estaminet du château, located in Rochechouart’s historic center, is the place to be for gourmets! On the menu are products from local producers, a menu that changes every 15 days – 1 month to respect products and seasons. 🥬🍅 If you come to visit us in summer, you can enjoy the guinguette atmosphere and concerts (the program is available on the Facebook page).

It’s been a tiring day of hiking, discoveries, gastronomy and heritage, and now it’s time to get some rest! 🛏️ Head for Manoir des Perrières, 550 m from L’Estaminet restaurant, where you’ll spend 2 nights. 🏡 Set in magnificent grounds with a heated swimming pool, this mansion will offer you all the comfort you need after a day’s cycling. Breakfast is included in the price. You’ll discover a tastefully decorated mansion with spacious bedrooms. The accommodation can accommodate up to 14 people, if you’d like to do this in a group.

Here you are, on your 3rd day of vacation in the PNR du Périgord-Limousin. Departing from Manoir des Perrières, you’ll take part of the Richard coeur de Lion route to Videix, where you’ll rest at the lake before making your way back. 🚴‍♀️ Leaving Rochechouart, don’t forget your packed lunch to pick up at the Dans l’même panier grocery storefor lunch. 🧺🍏🥕 Head for the first stage of your day the village of Montoume about 8.8 km and 33 minutes cycling.

Once you arrive in the village of Montoume, you can follow the “Chemin de la Météorité de Montoume” walking trail, which offers magnificent views of the Limousin countryside.

If you’d like to find out more about the meteorite, you can contact the nature reserve centre in Rochechouart, which organises occasional visits to the Montoume quarry.

Continue along the “Chemin de la Météorite de Montoume” to a place known as “Chez Daniel”, and from there take the “Chemin des Platanes” to Peyrassoulat to discover unique vegetation, including plane trees over 250 years old. 🌳

It’s time for lunch! 🥗

On the banks of the Tardoire near Peyrassoulat, settle down to enjoy your picnic, which you’ll find in the same basket you picked up this morning before setting off from Rochechouart.

Recharge your batteries and enjoy the natural surroundings before continuing on your way towards the Videix lake.

Your vacation in the Périgord Regional Nature Park Limousin continues at the Videix lake. Located on the border with the Charente, this stretch of water is famous for the Chassagne beach, which offers a wide range of water sports in summer, including swimming, sailing, canoeing and rowing. This little corner of Haute-Vienne and Charente will offer you a peaceful moment, bordered by the sound of nature. 🍃 If you like, you can go for a walk or take one of the 2 nearby hiking trails: the Charente riverbank trail is 11.4 km long and easy. You can do this on mountain bikes, on foot or on horseback. Or the Serves circuit, 14.7 km long and of medium difficulty, which can be explored on foot, horseback or mountain bike. 🚵‍♀️🚶‍♂️‍➡️

After enjoying the Videix lake, return to the Manoir des Perrières to take advantage of the heated pool to relax your legs, which have been hard at work all day. 💦 Take the opportunity to relax and get ready for dinner tonight at the Hôtel de France in Rochechouart. On the menu are local and terroir products that change every 3 months to respect the seasons and offer you quality products on the plate. 🥗 Located just a few steps from the Manoir des Perrières (500m), it takes about 2 minutes by bike and 7 minutes on foot to get to the restaurant.

You’ve now reached the last day of your holiday in the Périgord-Limousin Nature Park. 😔

It’s time to say goodbye to your host and return your travelling companion (your bike) to the tourist office in Saint-Junien.

It may be the last day of your holiday, but that won’t stop you from making the most of it right to the very end!

We’ve planned a few activities for you today: a cycle ride to Saint-Junien, a visit to the Agnelle glove factory, and a picnic – so you’ll head home with your head full of memories.🤩

Your day begins with a trip to the Saint-Junien tourist office to return your bike and collect your suitcase. On the way, stock up on local produce for your midday picnic. 🥖

Once you arrive at the tourist information centre, you can return the bikes and panniers and collect your suitcases.

You’ll then set off to explore a craft typical of Saint-Junien: leatherwork! To do this, we suggest a visit to the Agnelle glove factory – a local institution – or the Cité du Cuir, the museum of traditional craftsmanship.

The programme includes an introduction to the craft, demonstrations and more. You’ll leave this place with a deeper understanding of leatherwork.

After your visit to the glove factory, why not sample the local produce you’ve discovered on your way from Rochechouart, on the Quai des Mégisseries, just below the Notre Dame du Pont Chapel? It’s a lovely spot for a picnic, and you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the banks of the Vienne before heading back. 🍃

We hope you’ve enjoyed this cycling holiday in the Périgord-Limousin Nature Park and that it’ll inspire you to explore other holiday ideas in Haute-Vienne at Limousin.

As we say round here: Au còp que ven!* 👋

*See you soon