Forgès, Near Argentat, Correze, Limousin Region, France
La Souvigne
Our B&B “La Souvigne” is a typical stone built Correze cottage in South West France. Winters used to be quite hard to endure here in the Limousin, as the region around Limoges is known, and so just as in the nearby Massif Central, walls are thick, and windows are small. The traditional roofs here are of lauzes which are stone slabs, beautifully shaped to fit into position, although La Souvigne in fact has local slates. These roofs are found in other parts of the valley of the Dordogne too, but around Argentat are of a particular charm and delight.
We have been running bed and breakfast for over ten years now, and our B&B clients tell us how welcome we make them. With home made jams and marmalade, freshly squeezed orange juice and (usually) farm yoghurt and butter, breakfasts are quite a gastronomic treat. The Correze is a great place to go walking, with wonderful wild flowers including many varieties of orchid in the spring growing beside the road. The Limousin is an area of outstanding natural beauty, and of great diversity and nature lovers are truly spoilt for choice as to what to see. The river Dordogne has truly shaped this area, and is very much at the heart of the region.
If you plan to visit from abroad, you will need to hire a car, as public transport is not very well adapted for tourism. However cars can easily be hired at Limoges airport, Brive, Bergerac or even Toulouse, and roads in the Correze - and indeed throughout the Limousin - are beautifully maintained and very empty. In fact, with the A20 being completed, we're only about four and a half hours from Paris by car or train. You can rediscover the pleasure of pottering about by car. Round every corner, there's another view, a fine old Chateau here, a view of the mountains of the Massif Central there, and wherever you go, you'll see architectural treasures from as far back as the 11th century or earlier, before coming back to the welcome of our b&b again in time for dinner.
Gastronomy here is still very much alive and well, and quite apart from the 5 course dinner with which we welcome our guests when we can, there are quite a number of excellent restaurants within less that 20 minutes drive from here and one of the Limousin's best restaurants is only seven minutes away in Argentat. We have an excellent cellar with many interesting wine from France and elsewhere, and very much enjoys matching fine food and fine wines.
La Souvigne Bed and Breakfast is one of the most popular B&Bs in the Correze, and visitors seeking to come here, especially in July and August would be well advised to book early to avoid disappointment. We only have three rooms, and they're quickly filled!
Click here for www.chambres-d-hotes.la-france.org to find other B&Bs in France
