Around Saint Benoit

Around St Benoit

The surrounding countryside is lush and sparsely populated, and the roads are deserted. There are good walks from the village and half a dozen swimming lakes in the area. The closest lake is ten minutes’ drive away in Chaillac where pedalos can be hired. Sailing and water skiing are possible at two of the large lakes – Lac de Chambon and Lac St Pardoux.

Saint Benoit is a good base to explore historic or cultural sites: the frescoes of Saint Savin, Gregorian chanting at the abbey of Fontgombault and the village of Gargilesse made famous by the writer George Sand. Close to Limoges is the former settlement of Oradour sur Glane, the scene of a massacre by the Waffen SS in 1944, in which 642 men, women and children were killed.  The village has been left in its ruined state as a moving monument to the murdered villagers.

In the other direction, near Poitiers, is the science and technology theme park Futuroscope, which has shows and multimedia exhibits attracting over a million people a year.

For the physically intrepid, canoes can be hired on the Creuse and horseriding arranged in the countryside around Chaillac. There are excellent restaurants in nearby Argenton sur Creuse and La Luzeraize, as well as the Michelin 1 starred Christophe Cadieu in Saint Savin.

And what about the sea? The beautiful Atlantic port of La Rochelle is a three hour drive and for early risers makes a great day’s excursion.  Better still, stay overnight and enjoy the nautical ambiance of the bars and restaurants around the quay.