8 spots that look like other countries in Haute-Vienne

At a glance

1. No need for a California Visa

in La Jonchère-Saint-Maurice

Dreaming of seeing the giant sequoias of Yosemite National Park in the United States?

Then welcome to one of France’s oldest arboretums. This is a radical change of scale: you’re going to feel very small in front of specimens that look like they’ve come straight out of the Californian forests. We’re talking monumental redwoods, giant cedars and Douglas pines that climb so high they seem to want to tickle the clouds ☁️

If you close your eyes, you won’t hear any eagles, but you will hear a wealth of wildlife! 🦅

It’s also the ideal spot to have a cuddle with a hundred-year-old tree (it’s called sylvotherapy, and it’s very trendy in San Francisco).

Discover the arboretum

2. The Netherlands climb all the way to Haute-Vienne

in Flavignac

Did you think you had to cross Belgium to see fields of flowers as far as the eye could see? You’d be wrong! Put down your suitcases (and your Dutch dictionary), because a little piece of Holland is right in the middle of the Haute-Vienne. 🚲

In Flavignac, the Texon area is transformed every year. You’ll find the iconic landscape for which Amsterdam is famous: rows of straight tulips, an explosion of primary colours and a postcard-perfect feel that instantly makes you want to swap your car for a city bike.

The concept is top-notch: you wander between the multicoloured flowerbeds and compose your own bouquet. It’s a flower-lover’s paradise 🌷

All you need are a few windmills to feel like you’re in the Netherlands…

Discover Texon tulips

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Texon Tuilpes
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SPL Terres de Limousin

3. Tabernak, is this the Haute-Vienne?

at Lake Vassivière

There’s no need to check the validity of your passport or book an Air Canada flight. If you want to experience the wild immensity of the St. Lawrence or the lakes of Ontario, all you have to do is head east to Lac de Vassivière.

It’s the perfect place to get out your canoe and feel like a modern-day trapper in search of the great outdoors. The silence is golden, the air is fresh, and the horizon seems to have no limits.

If you need to “braker” (as our Quebec cousins say) and breathe deeply in a postcard setting, Vassivière is your number 1 destination! 🌲

Discover Lake Vassivière

4. The rising sun

in Bonnac-la-Côte

Forget the 13-hour flight, the jet lag and the overpriced sushi. We’ve found a way to get to Kyoto without blowing your carbon footprint, and it’s just 15 minutes from Limoges!

Welcome to Fukutsu-En, a genuine Japanese meditation garden in Bonnac-la-Côte. Here, tradition is no laughing matter: everything has been designed according to the rules of Japanese art by passionate enthusiasts. With its centuries-old bonsai trees, stone lanterns (the famous tōrō), small wooden bridges and the sound of flowing water, it’s easy to switch off.

It’s the perfect place to come and ‘put your mind to rest’, practise the art of Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) or simply let your friends think you’ve set sail for the Land of the Rising Sun.

If you need a shot of serenity without going through customs, this is the place. Sayōnara the stress, hello Haute-Vienne!

(visit on reservation)

Discover the Fukutsu Garden

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The Japanese garden Fukutsu-En, an exceptional garden awarded the Remarkable Garden label in Limousin.
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©Fukutsu-En

5. The Highlands of Haut-Viennois

in the Monts de Blond

Where we’re taking you, there’s no need for a kilt: we’re off to the Highlands without even crossing the Channel. Welcome to the Monts de Blond, where the Haute-Vienne takes on a Celtic air.

Here, the scenery changes radically: misty peaks, wild moors and granite chaos. With its legendary stones with mysterious names such as the Roche aux Fées and the Pierre du Sacrifice, the atmosphere is so mystical you’d almost expect to see a monster rise from the bottom of a pond! 🌫️

And what would Scotland be without its sheep? It’s the same here! Home of the Baronet Lamb, the landscapes are studded with white spots in all seasons 🐑

Discover the Monts de Blond

6. The Serengeti just a few minutes away

Reynou Park, Le Vigen

After the Monts de Blond (our very own Kilimanjaro), it’s off to Tanzania… without leaving the Haute-Vienne 🦒

At the heart of Reynou Park, the landscape almost resembles the savannah: vast plains where giraffes, zebras and antelopes live together freely. Here, the animals evolve in large spaces designed to reproduce their natural environment, offering a striking immersion only a few minutes from Limoges.

And to take the experience even further, you can even sleep in a lodge overlooking the plains: when you wake up, the whole atmosphere of the savannah is before your eyes ✨

Discover Reynou Zoo Park

7. A flavour of Vietnam

in Rancon

Did you think you had to fly over the China Sea to find the serenity of the great Asian temples? You’ve come to the wrong place! In Rancon, in the midst of the hills of the Basse-Marche region, lies a real piece of Vietnam covering 30 hectares 🏯

Between the majestic main temple and the Buddha statues that watch over the Limousin countryside, the atmosphere is charged with spirituality and calm. You forget the noise of the world and let yourself be lulled to sleep by the silence 🧘‍♂️

It’s more than just a setting, it’s a place where people live: you might come across monks in saffron robes, making the geographical illusion absolutely perfect!

Discover the Buddhist Temple

8. The Mongolian steppes

in Peyrat-le-Château

Do you have a sudden urge to live to the rhythm of traditional yurts? Head for Peyrat-le-Château, where the Haute-Vienne is transformed into a veritable little Mongolia! 🐎

Set in the middle of rolling meadows reminiscent of Mongolian plateaux, these circular dwellings straight from Ulan Bator offer an instant break from the hustle and bustle.

Your children won’t just be content to look at the scenery: they can go for a donkey ride! 🫏 The ideal travel companion: gentle, patient and a little stubborn. It’s the ultimate experience for testing out nomadic life Silk Road caravan-style, with the added comfort of a good bed.