Clos de l’Isop

Pick your vehicle of choice… pedalos, sailboats and canoes are available to hire at Saint-Pardoux-le-Lac (35 minutes' drive). The lake is also suited to wild swimming and for those who’d rather stay on dry land, the walking trails are rather ripe wildlife spotting areas. The forest’s acrobatic park has zipwires, an aerial bike and a forest snowboard too, if you’ve got the guts for it. Interested in history too? The remains of an old village, once burnt to the ground in 1944, remain in Oradour-sur-Glane Ville martyr (35 minutes). And for a little look at traditional life in a village at the start of the 20th century, Montrol-Sénard (20 minutes) is pretty well-preserved. Poitiers (an hour and 10 minutes) is a city with more historical sites, including an 11th-century church, cathedral and museums. Just outside, Futuroscope (an hour and 10 minutes) is likely to get your blood pumping. The theme park has space-themed rides and rollercoasters. Looking to see some animals too? Élevage De Bisons Jean Luther (10 minutes) is a bison breeding farm where you may go on a safari. There are also horse trekking opportunities around the Haute-Vienne region and a horse carriage collection in Saint-Auvent (45 minutes).