The Gorge Trail

11 points of interest

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  Heritage site

  The village of Sérandon

  Sérandon, with 349 inhabitants at the last census, derived its name from the root "serre" (highest point), to which the suffix "don" would add a defensive note.
  On the way back from the hike, be sure to make a detour to the magnificent site of Gratte-Bruyère, which dominates the confluence of the Dordogne and Sumène rivers. This observatory is ideal for observing the booted eagle, the red kite, the short-toed snake eagle and the peregrine falcon.
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  Heritage site

  Strange messages

  The circuit is punctuated by wooden panels that deliver strange messages. This is an interpretive trail project developed around the five senses by students of the Neuvic high school.
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  Heritage site

  The penstock

  The construction of a dam on the course of the Triouzoune has created a 410-hectare lake around the communes of Neuvic, Liginiac and Sérandon. The 5 km-long penstock in front of you starts at the dyke of the dam and carries the water to the Triouzoune power plant below. The small building at the start of the pipe is called a "balance chamber" and allows the flow of water to be regulated.
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  Panorama

  The Dordogne

  Originating in the Massif du Sancy, the river Dordogne merges with the Garonne to form the Gironde estuary.
  Between Corrèze and Cantal, the presence of gorges has favoured the construction of hydroelectric dams. At your feet is the Eagle Dam reservoir. 25 km long, it offers wilderness scenery with rocky cliffs, rocky scree and steep wooded slopes.
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  Heritage site

  The village of Vernéjoux

  The villages of Limousin were all heavily involved in agriculture. Walking through these hamlets always produces interesting discoveries during a hike: barns, mansions, crosses and monuments, traditional local architecture...
  In the village of Vernéjoux, notice the farm buildings and the well.
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  Panorama

  Le Massif du Sancy

  This hike will offer you a remarkable view of the highest volcano in metropolitan France, the Puy de Sancy. At 1885 metres above sea level, this summit is the highest point of the Massif Central. The two streams, the Dore and the Dogne, originate there, and their confluence forms the Dordogne.    
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  Heritage site

  The Marèges power station

  The La Mole electric substation is one of the largest in France. In particular, it supplies part of the Paris region and the SNCF network.
  It is fed in part by the Marèges dam which is located below on the Dordogne river. This dam, the first to be put in water in 1935, is the subject of a short interpretation tour.
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  Panorama

  Rocher du Grisot

  The formation of the volcanic massif of Cantal has caused lava to rise over fragile areas in this northern part of the Dordogne. These upwellings are still visible today in the form of either small puys or shreds of flow. The Rocher du Grisot, which is, more generally, part of the Puy called Puy d'Enval or Puy de Vernejoux, is a witness hill or outlier cleared by the erosion of a flow whose origin remains unclear.
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  Panorama

  The Cantal Mountains

  As well as the Dordogne, there is a panoramic view over the Monts du Cantal. This massif is, in fact, the remnant of a stratovolcano born 13 million years ago, the largest in Europe, eroded by collapse and glacial erosion.
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  Heritage site

  The village of Monange

  At the end of the walk, in the village of Monange, you will find not only an old, traditional oven but a pendulum well. Its operates on the lever principle: It is supported in its centre on a pivot and carries a container at one end and a counterweight at the other. Simply vary the weight of one of the arms to give it a rocking movement.
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  Heritage site

  The church at Sérandon

  Both the high point and the end of the route, the church of Sérandon is one of the prettiest in the region. Its porch, listed as a Historic Monument, is framed by a string of sculptures of symbolic figures and animals. Four scenes with carved characters move forward.