Walks in Ventadour
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Walks in Ventadour
Ussel

Walks in Ventadour

History
Lakes and rivers
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Ussel, roaming between city and countryside, has many stories and legends to whisper to you...
Starting from the economic and administrative capital of the Haute-Corrèze, this hike offers a short tour of the town centre and its rich heritage before inviting you to escape to the surrounding countryside. Refreshing breaks on the banks of the river Diège and then on the banks of the lake of Ponty remind us that water is everywhere in Haute-Corrèze.

7 points of interest

  • History

    Ussel Countryside Museum

    Opened in 1976, this "Museum of France" is devoted to the history, arts and traditions of the Ussel region, between the Millevaches plateau, the Triouzoune valley and the upper Dordogne valley. 
  • Legend

    Troubadours

    In the manner of the 12th-century troubadours, the inhabitants liked to tell and sing romantic stories. Among the most famous of them are the Ussel Four (Gui, Elbe, Pierre and Elias of Ussel) and Bernart of Ventadour. They excelled in the art of poetry to the point of making the brilliant Limousin language known in the greatest courts of Europe.
  • History

    Maison Ventadour

    In the Middle Ages, Ussel was the fief of the famous Ussel and Ventadour families. The latter were the owners of this house, a jewel of Ussellan architecture, built following the collapse of the chateau in the 16th century.
  • River

    The Diège

    This river has its source a few kilometres away on the eastern edge of the Millevaches plateau in the commune of Saint-Setiers and flows into the Dordogne. It is the ideal playground for fishermen, kayakers and walkers. 
  • Panorama

    Puy de Sancy

    An amazing viewpoint overlooking the highest volcano in metropolitan France, the Puy de Sancy. At 1,885 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.
  • Pond

    Lake Ponty

    The 18-hectare Lake Ponty offers a natural setting ideal for relaxation as well as for sports activities: Canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding, walking and fishing are some of the many activities available around the lake.
  • History

    Roman eagle

    Place Voltaire in Ussel is the home of this Roman eagle, carved in granite. It was discovered near the Peuch mill southeast of Ussel. Dating from the Roman period, it could have been placed over a funerary monument that had disappeared. Without a head when it was discovered, a head was added in 1804 by the sculptor Pic in honour of the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte. The eagle is a feminine name when it becomes a symbol of the Roman or Napoleonic empire.

Description

  1. Cross avenue Thiers to reach rue des Postes, then go left down rue Michelet (entrance of the museum of the Country of Ussel on the right), then right on rue Alphonse Chabrat and immediately right by the passage which leads to the museum square. Go across it to rue François Grabie and join Boulevard Clémenceau.
  2. Cross the boulevard, turn right for a few metres and enter the historic centre on the left by rue St-Martin.
  3. Walk on alongside the church on the left, and turn right into Place du Sénéchal, which becomes rue des Fossés. Turn left into rue Seclide. 40 m further down, turn left into rue des Ventadours. Continue straight ahead on rue des Troubadours, turn right into rue du 4 septembre and then right again into rue Esparvier. Pass the covered market and continue straight on to the boulevard.
  4. Go up towards La Courtine. At the intersection on the left, take the second street up to the cemetery. Go along it on the right and go down to the Diège.
  5. Cross the bridge and go straight up to the hamlet of Mareille. Turn left at the first house and left again. Follow the road to the left for 1 km until you reach the D 157. Turn right towards the Ponty tourist centre, then take the second road on the left to the petanque grounds.
  6. When you get to the lake, continue alongside it on the left towards the restaurant. Take the slightly higher path past a tennis court to the lake dam. Then turn left onto the road that leads to the gîtes. 150 m further on, go down by the mountain bike stadium, then go up by the winding path. At the top, turn left and go straight on. The path goes down through the wood, on the left, to join the D157. Turn right, go on for 150 m, and go down a path on the left just after the shopping centre road.
  7. Walk along the Diège, take the footbridge and go up as far as avenue Turgot. Turn left towards rue Michelet, turn right at the first road, then left onto avenue Thiers.
  • Departure : Tourist information office, place Voltaire, Ussel
  • Arrival : Tourist information office, place Voltaire, Ussel
  • Towns crossed : Ussel

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Follow the signposts carefully in the historical centre of Ussel and when you leave the Lac du Ponty.

Information desks

Place Voltaire, 19200 Ussel

05 19 60 00 30

Access and parking

From Ussel, join avenue Thiers (D 1089) at the tourist information office, place Voltaire.

Parking :

Tourist information office, place Voltaire, Ussel

More information

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