Plateau de Millevaches – Plateau de Mille Sources
The Plateau de Millevaches literally translates to “Plateau of a Thousand Cows.” However, don’t think for a moment that this plateau is the land of cows! The origin of the name comes from the local dialect word “vacca,” meaning spring. “Mille” (thousand) refers to the abundance of streams and natural ponds in the region.
The Plateau de Millevaches is also the source of several large rivers, such as the Vézère, the Vienne, and the Corrèze. This abundance of water has earned this central region the nickname “Château d’Eau de la France – Water Tower of France.”
It also allowed for the construction of numerous large dams and artificial lakes to manage and utilise the region’s abundant water resources: Lac de Vassivière, Lake Lavaud-Gelade, Lake Chammet, Lake Bariousses, and the Monceaux Dam.
The Plateau de Millevaches , a granite plateau marking the northwestern limit of the Massif Central. It is also the highest point of the Limousin, is also called “Montagne Limousine – Limousin Mountain“.
Plateau de Millevaches, a land of rolling hills
The Plateau de Millevaches was formed during the last glacial period, which left behind moraine and various glacial land-forms sculpted by glacial erosion and torrential rains.
This vast granite plateau, originally rising to an altitude of approximately 1,100 metres, has been gradually eroded over the course of millennia.
Today, its altitude varies from 500 metres to over 900 metres, with its highest point, Mont Bessou, in the Hauts Plateaux of Corrèze, reaching 977 metres.
The Plateau de Millevaches is renowned for its wooded hills and crisscrossing valleys, giving rise to a picturesque mountain landscape.
The continental climate results in harsh winters, often followed by early snowfall in spring, while summers are hot and frequently accompanied by storms. In autumn, the diverse forests burst into a mosaic of warm Indian summer colours.
The region is best explored on foot or by bicycle to fully appreciate all it has to offer.
Along your walks, you’ll discover ancient crossroads marked by monumental crosses, medieval bridges spanning numerous streams and rivers, and a multitude of fountains and wells.
You’ll also pass through picturesque hamlets, many of which still have their communal bread ovens.
Baking bread was once an opportunity for villagers living on isolated farms to reconnect with distant neighbours and family and exchange the latest gossip.
From sheep breeding to forestry
Until the early 20th century, the Plateau de Millevaches was primarily rural, a landscape of vast pastures dedicated to sheep farming. Limousin sheep were indeed highly prized for the superior quality of their meat and wool. However, increased competition in the wool industry led to the decline of sheep farming in the region, and the pastures were abandoned, giving way to fallow land, heath-land, and forests.
Thus, the Plateau de Millevaches is mostly covered by vast forests, notably beech, oak, and chestnut trees, the latter were introduced to the region in the 18th century. Some areas have also been planted with fast-growing conifers.
The economic decline also triggered a significant rural exodus, explaining the plateau’s current low population density.
Nevertheless, archaeological remains scattered throughout the region attest to a continuous human presence over several centuries. One of the most remarkable sites is the Ruines des Cars, the vestiges of a large Roman villa and funerary buildings dating from the 1st century AD.
Parc Naturel Regional de Millevaches en Limousin
The Plateau de Millevaches is part of the Regional Nature Park of Millevaches in Limousin, which was established in 2004.
This park spreads over approximately 19% of the Limousin region, or more than 3,300 km², and straddles the departments of Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne.
Its administrative centre is Gentious-Pigerolles, in the Creuse department. However, the boundaries of the Plateau de Millevaches are a subject of debate, with a distinction made between geographical and geomorphological limits.
Some consider the Gentioux Plateau and the Courtine Plateau to be integral parts of the Plateau de Millevaches, while others exclude them. Nevertheless, these three plateaus are indeed included within the park.
The Regional Natural Park prioritizes ecotourism, sports tourism, and rural tourism, and offers various types of accommodation (hotels, campsites, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals) spread across its six seaside resorts. The park is accessible by train to Limoges or by car via the A89 motorway or the Trans-European route, which connects Bordeaux to Lyon via Clermont-Ferrand
The 7 landscapes of the Plateau des Millevaches
The Plateau de Millevaches is renowned for its rolling hills; however, it exhibits local variations that have allowed for the identification of seven distinct landscapes within the region.
The Vallée de la Vienne, located to the west, consists of grassy hills and small agricultural enclaves, with altitudes ranging from 300 m to 750 m.
The Pays de Vassivière, at an altitude between 700 m and 800 m, is centred around the lakes of Vassivière and Lavaud-Gelade and includes forests and peat bogs.
The Massif des Monédières, which extends from 400 m to 900 m, is characterised by numerous forests and peat bogs, but lacks large lakes.
The Source de Millevaches, or Région des Mille Sources (Region of a Thousand Springs), represents the highest (700 m to 1,000 m) and most central part of the park, and is the source of several streams. It is a land of heath-land, peat bogs, ancient forests, wetlands, and meadows.
The Plateau de Courtine, reaching altitudes between 600 and 850 meters, is dominated by forests and meadows.
Mount Bessou, the highest point in the Limousin region, rises to 977 m in the Hauts Plateaux de Corrèze, surrounded by agricultural valleys whose altitudes vary from 500 to 850 meters.
Finally, the region traversing the Plateau de Millevaches from east to west offers a characteristic hedgerow landscape, with altitudes ranging from 650 to 850 meters.
Departement of Corrèze- Limousin region
Coordinates: Lat 45.666667 – Long 1.916667
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Header by Sjwells53 CC BY-SA 3.0 – Haute Vallée de la Vienne by Babsy CC BY-SA 3.0 – River Vienne by J Christophe Fauvet CC BY-SA 4.0 – Bread oven by Amalo CC BY-SA 3.0 – L’Ars by Avocat jean CC BY-SA 4.0 – Lac de Lavaud-Gelade by Accrochoc CC BY-SA 3.0 – Mont Bessou by Tubamirum CC BY-SA 3.0
