"Our wild country", say the inhabitants with tenderness of their department. The untouched natural character is the major asset of the Creuse. Forests, meadows, rivers and ponds alternate in a hilly landscape with narrow winding roads.
Scattered in this pine landscape are peaceful villages and hamlets; often not more than a handful of natural stone-built houses and charming farms. They reflect the area in which the inhabitants of Creuse excelled: architecture.
With its infertile soil, Creuse has always been the poorest department in Limousin. In the nineteenth century, men migrated on foot by the thousands to Paris to contribute to modernization. The story of "Masons de la Creuse" is represented in a small museum: Maison Martin Nadaud, in Soubrebost.
A holiday in Creuse is synonymous with calm, peace and relaxation. The department has a large number of hiking and mountain biking trails. It is not uncommon for them to cross the famous pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela. Holidays in Creuse is also: enjoying the abundance of water. Wading, swimming, fishing, boating, picnicking near a waterfall - anything is possible. Freedom, happiness.
Nearly 3800 km of rivers flow through the Creuse and the department includes more than 3000 hectares of ponds and lakes. Lake Vassivière is the jewel of the crown with an amazing surface of 1000 hectares. It is one of the largest lakes in France, embedded in greenery, rich in private beaches, islands and water sports.
Lac de Vassivière is located in the Regional Natural Park Plateau de Millevaches, in the southern half of the Creuse. Worth a visit: the Banizette estate, the Masgot stone-cutter village, the Bourganeuf Wednesday morning market and the tapestry towns Aubusson and Felletin.
In the northern half, the spa town of Évaux-les-Bains and the artists' towns Crozant and Fresselines are certainly worth a visit. The mysterious stones at Toulx-Sainte-Croix - Les Pierres de Jaumâtre - deserve a recommendation, if only because of the exciting adventure park for the children. They will also fall short of the natural woolly domain Les Loups de Chabrières in Guéret, the capital of the Creuse. Guéret is a nice provincial town with a small historical center. Other beautiful cities are La Souterraine, with its lively Saturday market, and Aubusson, where carpet weaving once celebrated. The Musée de la Tapisserie d'Aubusson recalls that rich tradition, but also shows contemporary examples of weaving.