For the curious

The numerous visits offered in the beautiful Charente Limousine area will delight the curious, the history buffs, the seekers of the unusual and all those who like to be surprised by the world that surrounds them.

Camping des Lacs is located on a site with a long history: more than 200 million years ago, a huge meteorite with a diameter of about 25 km collided with our planet in Babaudus (commune of Rochechouart, 15 km away). You will no longer see any trace of the crater, which was nevertheless impressive, but you will be able to document it in the meteorite museum in Rochechouart and to observe everywhere the buildings made of impactite, this rock resulting from the fusion between the meteorite and the terrestrial rock.

From a glorious past...

Much later, it was the Romans who left many traces on this territory of Charente Limousine. Chassenon, a small village 8 km from your campsite, it is a major archaeological site that is still being excavated. Once called Cassinomagus, it was located at the intersection of two main Roman roads and was a very important town. The thermal baths are without doubt the most incredible building: they are the largest and best preserved in France, a must-see!

The rest of history has left many traces of the glorious past of our beautiful Charente Limousine: you can visit many castles from different periods, such as Rochechouart (which now houses a museum of contemporary art), La Rochefoucauld (majestic and bordered by the Tardoire), Montbron, St Germain de Confolens… If you follow the Richard the Lionheart road, stop at the campsite of the Lakes!

The whole history of our country is marked by our Christian roots and they have also left us a certain number of testimonies: each village has its Romanesque church. You will be particularly enchanted by the frescoes of the one in Les Salles-Lavauguyon (8 km) which date from the Middle Ages and are in an incredible state of preservation. Or the collegiate church of St Junien (25 km), built between the 11th and 13th centuries in granite from the Limousin region.

... to a modern history

Let us now turn to modern history, which has left its bloody mark on the village of Oradour-sur-Glane, 40 km from the campsite. On 10 June 1944, as the German troops were retreating and the Second World War was coming to an end, a group of German soldiers completely destroyed the village. The village has remained intact since that horrific day. You can visit the ruined village and the memorial centre.

The cities of Angoulême and Limoges (50 km each) will delight you with their particularities: Angoulême, the international capital of comic strips with its painted walls, its high walls and its historic centre, and Limoges, the cradle of porcelain with beautiful factories still in operation, its world-famous railway station and its lively and welcoming centre.

Also not to be missed: the last remaining charentaise slipper factory, the caves, the mills, and many other surprises await you!