Lac de Vassivière: The Limousin's Largest Lake and Its Art Island
Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
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200
XP
+100 France
= 300 total
1 day
Lac de Vassivière: The Limousin's Largest Lake and Its Art Island
200 + 100 XP
The Lac de Vassivière was made by a hydroelectric dam on the Maulde, built between 1947 and 1950 and filled on Christmas Eve 1950. At 9.76 km2 it is the largest body of water in the Limousin and one of the biggest artificial lakes in France, with 45 km of shoreline, five supervised beaches and a 70-hectare island in the middle carrying an international art centre and a wood full of sculpture. Every autumn the level is drawn down on purpose to make room for the winter rain and snowmelt.
Required Activities
1
of 3
Swim from one of the five supervised beaches on the 45 km of shoreline, and before you go in look for the tide line on the bank: the lake is held at 651 m above sea level in summer and let down every autumn, so the mark shows you how much of the beach is only there in July
2
of 3
Cross to the 70-hectare Île de Vassivière and go into Aldo Rossi's art centre of 1991 — a conical lighthouse joined to a long exhibition nave — then walk the Bois de sculptures around it, about sixty works set among woodland, meadow and lakeshore, and pick the one you would take home
3
of 3
Walk out round the Broussas peninsula to the port of Vauveix and find where the Maulde now runs into the lake instead of down its old valley; on the way, pick out the peat bogs, heath and boggy pools that are what the Millevaches plateau looked like before the water came
Swim from one of the five supervised beaches on the 45 km of shoreline, and before you go in look for the tide line on the bank: the lake is held at 651 m above sea level in summer and let down every autumn, so the mark shows you how much of the beach is only there in July
Cross to the 70-hectare Île de Vassivière and go into Aldo Rossi's art centre of 1991 — a conical lighthouse joined to a long exhibition nave — then walk the Bois de sculptures around it, about sixty works set among woodland, meadow and lakeshore, and pick the one you would take home
Walk out round the Broussas peninsula to the port of Vauveix and find where the Maulde now runs into the lake instead of down its old valley; on the way, pick out the peat bogs, heath and boggy pools that are what the Millevaches plateau looked like before the water came
Before you go
The lake is held at its summer level until late September and drawn down each autumn, so the beaches are at their fullest in high summer; the art centre on the island opens daily in July and August.
This is a working hydroelectric reservoir, not a natural lake: the level is let down every year from late September, and in the 2019 drought it was drawn down through August to keep the Vienne flowing. Swim only from the five supervised beaches, and keep clear of the two marked zones used by water bombers for scooping. The art centre is open all year — Tuesday to Friday from 2pm, weekends and holidays from 11am, and daily in July and August — and the sculpture wood outside it is free.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
200 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
300 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
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