The charcoal burners' trail
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The charcoal burners' trail
Saint-Pantaléon-de-Lapleau

The charcoal burners' trail

Heritage site and architecture
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From the plateau to the Vianon and Luzège gorges, this route is full of natural and cultural wonders.
After a refreshing descent to the rocky chaos on the Vianon, come and immerse yourself in the iconic site of the Old Church, a recently restored historical monument, in the heart of the Luzège valley on the site of Le Gour Noir.

6 points of interest

  • History

    The Tacot Tramway train

    Between 1913 and 1959, this tramway, also called the "Tacot", linked Ussel to Tulle. On average, 190 passengers used this tramway every day. It served about 50 villages, including Saint-Pantaléon-de-Lapleau.
  • River

    The Vianon

    The Vianon, which rises at an altitude of 650 metres in the commune of Saint-Angel, joins the Luzège a little further down the route. As you continue up the river, you will notice a rocky gorge, also known as a "chaos", which refers to a pile of rocks displaced by erosion.
  • Site

    The Luzège dam

    This dam is a hydroelectric reservoir on the Luzège, with a surface area of 29 ha. The site is home to many species of fish, as well as otters, adders, the common genet and deer.
  • Heritage site

    The church of Gour Noir

    Built at the end of the 12th century, this church was restored at the end of the 20th century. It has hosted the Luzège theatre festival since the first performance in 1987. The site is also a natural area and home to a great wealth of plant and animal species (booted eagle, white-throated dipper, brown trout, etc.).
  • Small patrimony

    The Barbecues

    These barbecues were used by the workers in charge of constructing the dam in the middle of the 20th century.
  • Small patrimony

    Bread oven

    In the past, many villages had their own bread ovens, which were owned jointly by the inhabitants, but some of them were built into the house and opened directly into the chimney of the dwelling.

Description

  1. Take the RD 55 towards the town hall. At the town hall, turn right towards the Chambougnol mill. The road becomes a track.
  2. Where the tracks cross, turn right: stay on the main path down into the gorge for 1.5 km. At the crossroads, turn right to make a return trip to the river; go up for 200 metres to see the rocky gorge and then return to the crossroads.
  3. Go up a few metres and leave the main path on the right for a small steep trail; follow the signs carefully on this long and technical section - it doesn't have many landmarks. Pass under a power line and find a track.
  4. Go up for 50 metres, then drop down to the right by a path in the undergrowth that joins a road. Follow the road to the left to reach the Old Church.
  5. Level with the site (you can go up to the church by the stone steps or to go down on the right for a round trip to the Luzège dam, 500 m), take a trail on the left which goes up by wooden steps; stay on the main route: the trail becomes a path at the end of the wood, then a road towards the first house. Go through the village of La Croix; continue on the road, passing the road towards the village of La Chevalerie on the right.
  6. In the village of Laborie, take the track on the left, which arrives at a crossroads of tracks. Turn right to take the track you already took on the way to the starting point.
  • Departure : Car park next to the old wagon
  • Arrival : Car park next to the old wagon
  • Towns crossed : Saint-Pantaléon-de-Lapleau and Saint-Hilaire-Luc

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Information desks

1 Rue de la Tour des Cinq Pierres, 19160 Neuvic

05 19 60 00 30

Access and parking

From Neuvic, follow the D 991 towards Egletons, then go left on the D 89, then take the D 55E towards St-Pantaléon.

Parking :

Car park next to the old wagon

More information

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