Low carbon stays
Nice detours and short circuits in Pays Gaillard
Take advantage of a break in the country to recharge your batteries in complete freedom and meet those who make it authentic. 3 days by bike, far from the crowds, to discover ancestral and preserved sites and know-how.
Useful information
- Level of sporting difficulty: 4.5
(1=easy; 2/3 = moderate; 5 = very difficult) - Prices : From 229€ per person
- Type of accommodation(s) : hotel
- Information : arnaud.jambor@brive-tourisme.com - 06 17 08 89 20
The price includes :
2 nights in Brive-la-Gaillarde in a 3* hotel with breakfast
1 VAE per person delivered to the point of arrival (e.g. train station), with bags for luggage
1 cheerful box per person, including gourmet local products.
GPX traces of the itineraries of the stay and detailed travel diary
Reductions or advantages from listed partners
The price does not include:
- Meals
- Entrance fees to paid tourist sites and paid guided tours
Day-to-day program:
Day 1: Arrival at Brive station and warm-up
Distance : 3 km.
Accommodation recommendation(s) : Hotel La Réserve 3*
Recommendation of places to have lunch : Amédélys (closed Sunday and Monday), Paulo's (open every day; label Origin Corrèze), Crêperie La Maison (closed Sunday)
Recommendation of places to dine : Amédélys (closed Sunday and Monday; free coffee), Paulo's (open every day; Origine Corrèze label), inspiration (open Friday and Saturday; by reservation; hot drink offered at the end of the meal)
Upon arrival at the station Brive, Arnaud welcomes you with your bikes, equipped with panniers to load your luggage as well as your “gaillarde box”. Responsible, solid and reusable, it is 100% local, from its container made in Brive to the selection of local products it contains (apple juice Lou Father Benoît, smoked duck breast pâté The Combe de Job, white beer from Gaillarde Brewery, dark chocolate/nut spread Bovetti, tea bag Miss Dragonfly, handmade soap from La Fabrique du Bois Vignaud).
Passionate about cycling, Arnaud knows the paths, small roads and secure trails by heart, away from the main roads. He will give you your travel diary and the GPX traces of the routes to discover the most beautiful gems of the destination in complete freedom. He will give you all the advice to fully enjoy your stay and know who to meet to feel the true soul of the guys.
Make yourself comfortable at the hotel Reserve***, located in the city center less than 10 minutes from the station and equipped with a bicycle garage.
For lunch and dinner, opt for one of our good restaurants, such as Amédélys, Paulo's ou inspiration : 3 committed chefs who carry the colors of cheerful gastronomy loud and clear.
After lunch, go to the Tourist Office for a guided tour of the city center (depending on the period), or its discovery independently thanks to the application Terra Aventura, a fun treasure hunt which will allow you to discover the curiosities of the city outside of the usual circuits. Bonus: climb to the top of the lighthouse of the Tourist Office and enjoy the panorama of the city!
Day 2: Head south: Brive-la-Gaillarde → Ligneyrac → Collonges-la-Rouge → Turenne → Brive-la-Gaillarde
- Distance : 54,9 km.
- Accommodation recommendation(s) : Hotel Reserve 3*
- Recommendation of places to have lunch : Le Maraicher (Colonges-la-Rouge). Homemade aperitif offered on presentation of the travel diary.
- Recommendation of places to dine : Amédélys (closed Sunday and Monday, free coffee), Paulo's (open every day; Origine Corrèze label), inspiration (open Friday and Saturday, by reservation; free hot drink at the end of the meal)
Departing from Brive, you will set off on the road to Most Beautiful Villages of France, rich in breathtaking views, direction Collonges la Rouge. On the way, we advise you to stop at Mill of the Tale of Life, in Ligneyrac: a century-old mill looked after by Anne and Cyrille, which presses walnuts (recognized AOP) as if it were still twenty years old. As a bonus, you can stroll through the orchards and enjoy the unique view of the Turenne Castle.
Arriving in Collonges, and after discovering the village with its red sandstone houses, go and knock on the door of the restaurant Le Maraicher for your lunch break: Antoine, activist restaurateur and ambassador of the short circuit, cultivates a 4-hectare organic vegetable garden on site. A few steps from the Collonges church, you will enjoy seasonal products, in an atmosphere combining tradition and modernity.
Once satisfied, head back towards Brive and stop in the village of Turenne, classified among the Most Beautiful Villages in France and which retains all its authenticity. Discover the Vicomté and its rocky spur, impossible for cars to access. Along the way, don't hesitate to stop at Lakopé, a collective of local artisans who will be keen to help you discover their know-how. At the top, visit the castle and take the opportunity to climb to the top of the César Tower: you will discover a breathtaking 360° panorama, unique in the region, which embraces the Cantal mountains in a single glance to the East, the landscapes of the Causse to the South and well beyond the Dordogne Valley to the West. The castle gardens will allow you to take a break in a green setting and a timeless bubble. Reduction at entry upon presentation of travel diary.
Back in Brive for the evening, once again enjoy a good meal based on seasonal products and short circuits. Special mention for inspiration, recently awarded a Bib Gourmand, for whom offering sustainable and responsible cuisine seems obvious!
Day 3: Culture and know-how: Brive-la-Gaillarde → Varetz → Saint-Viance → Ussac → Donzenac → Travassac
- Distance : 40,2 km.
- Accommodation recommendation(s) : Hotel La Réserve 3*
- Recommendation of places to have lunch : Picnic under the Donzenac hall
- Refueling possible along the way : artisan bakeries in Varetz (Cousinou: closed on Monday; Vignal: closed on Sunday), closed “The Gardens of Lagarde” (St Viance; direct sales Friday and Monday morning), seasonal market gardening with intercropping, without harsh phytosanitary products), and “Ferme du Colombier” (Ussac, grocery store with direct sales and wide choice of local products/short circuits: closed on Sunday)
- In the town of Donzenac : Roig artisan bakery (open until 13:30 p.m., except Sunday 13 p.m., closed on Wednesday), Boucherie Nauche (open until 12:30 p.m., closed on Wednesday; Origine Corrèze label),
- Recommendation of places to dine : / (end of stay)
After breakfast at the hotel, you leave for the Colette Gardens, in Varetz.
Pay attention to the traffic at the Ponts de Grange, 2 km before the Jardins de Colette: the bends and the slightly faster traffic of motorized vehicles do not allow you to indulge in daydreaming while contemplating the landscape!
The Gardens of Colette retrace the places where the writer Colette lived, who stayed on numerous occasions at the Château de Castel Novel, right next to the Gardens, when she shared the life of Henri de Jouvenel. A strong, free, daring woman, lover of nature and animals, Colette was a young lady before her time and the Gardens are imbued with her avant-garde personality. The team of gardeners will be happy to share their responsible commitment with you: “zero phyto” gardens for many years, where waste is systematically recycled into mulch or compost, where we practiceeco-grazing and where trees, shrubs and perennials are selected for their adaptation to the Corrèze climate and soil, and systematically purchased in local nurseries. LPO shelters, the gardens also offer shelter to many birds: the opportunity to make “nice” encounters! Reduction at entry upon presentation of travel diary.
Once you have regained your strength tea Room, get back on the bike towards the Lagarde Gardens in Saint-Viance, at a place called La Garde, then from La Ferme du Colombier at a place called Chaumont, in Ussac: Mesdames MURAT, passionate market gardener and CHAMBARET, producer of fruits and vegetables and breeder of cattle and pigs, will welcome you in the shop on their farms and will advise you on the choice of local products for your lunchtime picnic.
Arrived near Donzenac, two possibilities are available to you for your lunch break: follow the Route du Rond and take the footbridge over the Maumont to access a small shaded corner of greenery at the edge of the stream and its picnic area with tables available, or Well continue into the town center to sit under the market hall, also equipped with tables and which offers welcome shelter in case of rain.
At the start of the afternoon, continue by bike to visit the town of Donzenac, a medieval town from the 12th century, where an interpretive trail will take you past the oldest house in Corrèze (13th century).
At the exit of the village, stop at Pans de Travassac, a unique site in Europe: this open-air slate quarry is the last still active in France and the only one in Europe to present vertical, not horizontal, sections of rock, giving the place its very particular atmosphere. Visiting the site will allow you to meet artisans who use slate on a daily basis, to discuss with these enthusiasts about their work and the added value of craftsmanship compared to the mechanized exploitation that is now dominant. You will then better understand why Travassac slates were chosen for the roof renovation work at Mont-Saint-Michel! Reduction at entry upon presentation of travel diary.
Your stay ends at the end of the day, after having reached the station and returning your bikes to Arnaud. See you soon in Pays Gaillard!
WE love :
- A stay which is “zero cars” et “low-carbon”, departing from Brive station
- Personalized bikes provided and delivered upon your arrival at the station or at your accommodation, with bags for your luggage
- Personalized alternative routes to major roads traditionally used for tourist trips
- Personalized meetings with locals, committed farmers and passionate artisans, keen to share with you virtuous market gardening techniques and ancestral know-how
- La (re)discovery of a heritage in a different way exceptional natural, historical and gastronomic
Access
- Access to Brive-la-Gaillarde station from Limoges by TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine line n°22 (approximately 1h20) or from Périgueux by TER line n°32 (1h).
- All on-site travel is by bike.
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