PLACES TO VISIT…

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Oradour-sur-Glane

Reynou Zoological & Landscape Park

Aquarium of Limousin, Limoges

Nostalgie Rurale at Montrol- Sénard 

Town & Chateau of Boussac

ORADOUR-SUR-GLANE, 87520 

Situated some 20 kilometres east of Limoges in the direction of Angouleme, Oradour-sur-Glane is described as a ‘Village Martyr’ and is preserved exactly as it was left by a German Waffen SS division after they massacred the entire
community on 10^th June 1944.  

The ruins are an incredibly evocative and moving memorial to the 642 men, women and children who died and serve as a very stark reminder of the brutality of war. 

Also on site is the ‘Centre de la mémoire’, an excellent museum which contains various artefacts and audio visual presentations and seeks to explain the background to the massacre as well as recording some first hand accounts of the events of 10.6.44. 

This is not an ‘entertainment’ but is truly a place that everyone should visit as you cannot fail to be touched and moved by it.

Open every day between 1st February and 16th December – hours vary – check on website for times and tariff
www.oradour.org

Until 30^th April 2010 there is a special exhibition dedicated to the 9/11 atrocities in the USA  

After the war, the French authorities built a new town next to the ruins and there are a number of bars and restaurants in the town along with some shops.

REYNOU ZOOLOGICAL & LANDSCAPE PARK

For those with an interest in animals, the Reynou zoological and landscape park just south of Limoges is well worth a visit. There is a wide diversity of animals with most of the big cats represented. Many of the animals are in the two African plain areas and the two Asiatic plain areas and include species such as rhino, zebra, giraffe, camels etc. Please note that there are no elephants. 

The park is part of the European breading programmes and none of the animals have been introduced from the wild.

There is a café serving a variety of food, snacks and drinks or you can take a picnic and there are plenty of places to sit. There are machines where you can purchase drinks sited around the park.

Centred in the park is a fine château (referred to as a castle). It is not open the public as it is being restored, however, you can walk around the outside. There is a landscaped park with ponds with some 132 species of trees and shrubs.

In the summer, April to September, the park is open daily 10am to 8pm and in winter, October to end of March, it is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays 10am until 5.30pm.

At the time of writing (Sept 2009) the cost of entry was 12.80 Euros for adults and 9.20 Euros for children aged 3 – 12. (this includes the zoo and park)

Full information can be found at www.parczooreynou.com

Recommended by Mike and Jacqui Welham (supporters of the Elephant Nature Park at Chiang Mai, Thailand where rescued and injured elephants are provided with a safe home)

L’AQUARIUM DU LIMOUSIN, LIMOGES

2 boulevard Gambetta (face à la mairie de Limoges)

87000 LIMOGES

Tél: 05 55 33 42 11 
Fax: 05 55 33 47 78

www.aquariumdulimousin.com

Limoges has a very interesting aquarium. It is located in an architecturally unique building that was once an ancient underground water reservoir, built at the time of Napoleon III to supply clean drinking water for the City of Limoges and put an end to cholera epidemics. 

The aquarium is small if you compare it with the large Sea Life centres or similar places, but it is well set out providing a home to some 2,500 fish and marine life in more than 160,000 litres of water. 



Whilst there are no sharks, there are some large underwater creatures to be seen. The diversity of underwater life is remarkable and you can view some of it at first hand.

The aquarium is located in the City centre and is open 7 days a week from 10.30 to 18.00 without any lunchtime closures.

As of October 2009 the entry costs were Adult EUR7.00, Child EUR4.50 (3 – 12 Years) 3rd child is free.  

NOSTALGIE RURALE AT MONTROL-SENARD - A small village opens its past to the public

Grandparents will certainly feel at home in the old school room at Montrol- Sénard. It may be in France and French may be the language on the blackboard but school rooms were much the same throughout Europe.

The school museum of the Nostalgie Rurale at Montrol- Sénard is of interest to all ages. Children may look in vain for computers (not even invented then) whilst adults will, no doubt, remember ink pots and chalk boards, items that have disappeared within a single generation’s lifetime.

The village has maintained a number of houses and workshops showing the past and an interesting story board of how things were done or made.

See where the village women did their laundry, where the artisans such as the shoemaker worked and their tools.

Visit a one roomed home with open fire for cooking and warmth, a bed and table/chairs.

See the village café of the past and old farm machinery.

Visit a wonderfully preserved school room providing an amazing time capsule.

For those who can remember some of the items on display being used for real, it will bring home many memories and may appear all very grim by today’s standards to younger visitors.

The remarkable thing is that the village provides this wonderful insight into our past free of charge. A plan of the site can be obtained in the School room.

Please respect the community of today as you walk round.

Opening hours:

May 10am to 6.30pm

June to September 10am to 7pm

October to November 10am to 6pm

This attraction is closed from 11 November until 8^th May

Location:

40 km from Limoges and equidistant at 15km from Bellac, St Junien and Oradour-sur-Glane, Montrol-Sénard can be found on the D675 close to Mortemart and is on the Route Touristique for the Haut-Limousin.

Telephone 05.55.68.12.06. More info here

THE TOWN AND CHATEAU OF BOUSSAC

The town of Boussac evolved around the fortified castle and was declared independent in 1427. For protection the inhabitants built a protective town wall - you can still see parts of this today along with the gateway, towers and ramparts. 

There are many interesting old buildings worth visiting including the chateau (with guided tours) and the Church of St. Anne. The Town Hall is home to three very important Aubusson tapestries. 

The Chateau was built in the 12th Century for defence purposes. It was partly destroyed during the Hundred Years War by the English, and was rebuilt around 1420-30 by Jean I of Brosse - a compatriot of Joan d'Arc. 
It is classified as an Historic Monument. 

The chateau was abandoned for a long time until in 1965 restoration began to take place. This restoration continued for many years and has resulted in a magnificently furnished and inhabited chateau. On the ground floor, rooms are much as they were originally in the 15th century. Particularly the Guard Room with an amazing flagstone floor and massive fireplaces.

The Chateau is linked to The Lady and the Unicorn (La Dame à la licorne) which is the modern title given to a series of six tapestries woven in Flanders of wool and silk, from designs ("cartoons") drawn in Paris in the late fifteenth century. 

The tapestries were rediscovered in 1841 by Prosper Mérimée in Boussac castle where they had been suffering damage from their storage conditions. Novelist Georges Sand brought public attention to the tapestries in her novel Jeanne works at the time. 

Today, one is on display at the Chateau, one is in the private apartments, three are in Paris and one in Aubusson. These tapestries are also the central theme of the novels "The Lady and the Unicorn" by Tracy Chevalier and "The Seventh Unicorn" by Kelly Jones.

A visit to the Chateau involves a guided tour. Your guide may not speak English but there is some information in English. Apart from the tapestries there is furniture, paintings and objects of the past. The entrance fee is 10 Euro per person but is well worth it. The Chateau is open all year.

If you need any assistance during your visit then call into the Tourist Office located in the town square as they are extremely helpful. 
Location: From the A20 follow east along the E62 and go past Gueret. Turn left on to the D11 or go further along to the D997 and head north to the town of Boussac