Creuse, France
Creuse holiday rental cottages - Creuse houses
Creuse is a department in central France named after the Creuse River. Creuse, which is part of the region of Limousin, is located in the Massif Central. The department is a rural paradise; offering rolling hills intersected by steep valleys. The area has plateaux, forests, lakes & rivers - attracting visitors in search of the great outdoors. The woodlands are dominated by oak, ash, chestnut, hazel and prune trees.
Guéret is the capital town of the Creuse and is located on the edge of the Chabrières forest a must-visit when you stay in a holiday cottage in Creuse, France. It has an interesting Art and Archaeology museum, be sure not to miss Guéret’s Giant Maze – one of the biggest mazes in the world!
Rent a self catering holiday home in Creuse and visit Aubusson, another important Creuse town which is well-known for its tapestry and carpets that have been famous throughout the world since the 14th century. There is a famous collection of Aubusson tapestries at Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. The Creuse River runs across the department from the northeast to the northwest and it was the clear waters of the Creuse that enabled Aubusson to become a centre for making the coloured dyes used for tapestries & rugs.
A historically rich and traditionally rural lightly-populated area with beautiful preserved landscapes, ancient and typical art de vivre, original stone architecture, no major urban centre and many heritage site such as castles, abbeys and Celtic stone monuments: the Creuse department has become a Green tourism destination since the late 1990s.
The major tourist attractions for those who rent a holiday house in the Creuse include the tapestry museum in Aubusson and the many castles, notably those of Villemonteix, Boussac, and Banizette. The monastery of Moutier-d'Ahun has exceptional wood carvings from the 17th century. Creuse is also home to a large animal park named Les Loups de Chabrières containing some of France's few remaining wolves, held in semi-captivity. It includes European Grey Wolves, Canadian White Wolves and two Canadian Black Wolves in five distinct enclosures.
Travelling to your Creuse holiday rental accommodation
By road: The department is well located for reaching all of France’s major cities. The A20 connecting Paris to Toulouse runs through part of the department and the A71 connecting Paris to Clermont Ferrand is close to the department’s eastern border also. Journey time from Paris is just under 4 hours. By rail: Guret train station offers regional services throughout Creuse. There is no direct link to Paris at this time. Therefore take a train to La Souterraine or Limoges and continue to Paris Austerlitz. Journey time is approximately under 4 hours. By air: The nearest international airport is at Limoges. Both Ryan air and Flybe offer direct flights to London Stansted, East Midlands and Southampton. Check for seasonal timetable changes.