On the main road to the Massif Central, Aubusson is a neat looking grey stone town standing on the river Creuse which pretty much owes its existence to the pristine and pure mountain waters flowing by.

The waters have been essential for making the coloured dyes used in the rugs, carpets and tapestries woven here since the 15th century. Large exhibitions of the world famous ancient and modern tapestries take place every summer.

Apart from a small but not unattractive quarter around Place de la Libération, a visit here centres around the Musée Départemental de la Tapisserie in the Avenue des Lissiers, displaying a permanent collection and a workshop open to the public at the Manufacture St Jean. The other sight to see is the town’s ruined hilltop castle.

Ten kilometres away Felletin is also famous for its weaving but with an emphasis on modern tapestry. The tapestry designed by Sutherland which hangs in Coventry Cathedral was woven here.

The département’s biggest attraction is the plateau Millevaches which sprawls into neighbouring Corrèze. Cows - and sheep for that matter - graze the upland pasture but the name, an ancient Celtic word, means a thousand springs.

Red cows of the Limousin

Autumn brings out the best with the countryside aflame with purple heather. Conifers, beech, birch and chestnut trees predominate broken up by the odd artificially created lake and very occasional village. Millevaches is best appreciated on foot or bicycle, although there are steam train trips in July and August. It is best avoided in winter when temperatures can drop to 20 below.

During haymaking, locals toil in the fields using rakes and pitchforks and it’s rare to hear anything so modern as a tractor rudely encroaching on their time honoured methods of farming.

Perched on a promontory above the valley of the Petite Creuse, Boussac is an old fortified town, still complete with original château. The novelist George Sand stayed here and the town and countryside feature in her novel “Jeanne”.

The château, dating from the 15th century has guided tours, taking about 45 minutes. There is a marked walking trail from Boussac which takes in most of the local sights such as the Commanderie de Lavaufranche and the Toulx Ste Croix. En route are the Pierres Jaumâtres, strange, rounded boulders linked to legends of King Arthur, as well being a favourite spot with George Sand and Chopin.

Medieval in origin, La Souterraine lies on the former pilgrims’ road to St Jean de Compostella and each year sees modern pilgrims still walking or cycling the route. The Eglise Notre Dame, started in the 12th century, is a mixture of romanesque and gothic, with a black Madonna in the primitive bell tower. La Porte St Jean is the last vestige of the medieval ramparts.

Creuse countryside

Some 15km north of La Souterraine are the gardens of La Crinaldière at St Germain de Beaupré. Open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays from June to September, this oasis of tranquillity comprises four separate gardens in different styles and a number of rare species.

Built on the site of a seventh century monastery, Guéret is a quiet, unassuming town, the smallest préfecture in France. The Musée de la Sénatorerie is an Ali Baba’s cave of exhibits with an impressive collection of Art Deco. Music festivals take place in the surrounding area during the summer. In July and August, Voix d’Eté en Creuse is a series of concerts performed in local romanesque churches, and Les Rendez-vous du Piano Forte, in October/November, a gathering of the best young talent and international piano virtuosi.

Bourganeuf was a prosperous town in the 12th - 15th centuries and a base of the Knights Templars. More recently, it achieved fame furnishing the carpets for the luxury liner “Normandie” and the foyer of the Empire State Building. Fifteen kilometres to the north are waterfalls, les Cascades des Jaurrauds, a good spot for a picnic lunch.

Between Guéret and Aubusson lies Ahun, notable for its church at Moutier d’Ahun. In romanesque and gothic styles, it was built on the site of a Benedictine abbey at the centre of this preserved medieval hamlet on the banks of the Creuse. There are guided tours every afternoon in July and August. On 16 August the statue of St Roch is processed through the tiny streets to the river - in times of drought, the statue’s feet are dipped in the river to bring rain.

A spa town since gallo-roman times, Evaux les Bains is still visited for the curative powers of its hot water springs. The water can be found bubbling out of the ground at 60°C nine kilometres away - for the energetic, the walk there and back takes about three hours. The walk takes in the former gold mine at Châtelet where fortune hunters still pan the river for the precious metal.