Camping Paradis Les 2 Îles

Hire sailing dinghies at Club Nautique de Vassivière Port Crozat (15 minutes’ walk) to speed across Lake Vassivière, rent water skis from the Ski Nautique Club Auchaise Vassivière (25 minutes), or spend the day hiking around the lake on the waymarked Autour du Bois de Crozat path (runs past the campsite). When you’ve had your fill of sporty activities, have a rest day and mooch around the lakeside town of Peyrat-le-Château (10 minutes’ drive), full of bistros and cafés for coffee stops. Sitting on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrim route, the village of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat (40 minutes) has a landmark Romanesque church with a spectacular bell tower and lots of pretty squares for people watching. Eymoutiers (20 minutes) is a medieval masterpiece with an eye-catching setting on the River Vienne and half-timbered cottages – don’t miss the vivid stained-glass windows and the ornate tiling on the vaulted roof of Gothic-era Collégiale Saint-Étienne church. For the very best of French modern art, check out the Espace Paul Rebeyrolle (also 20 minutes) close by, with its courtyard full of wacky sculpture and galleries full of surreal installations.