Haute-Vienne, Administrative department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
Haute-Vienne is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France, marked by forests, rivers and agricultural land. The terrain shifts between gentle hills and flat valleys, with smaller towns and farmsteads breaking up the landscape.
The department came into being on March 4, 1790, during the administrative reorganization of the French Revolution, carved from parts of the old Limousin province. Its boundaries and administrative structures have barely changed since then and still follow the decisions made in those years.
The local porcelain tradition from Limoges still shapes many workshops and small studios across the territory. In towns around the prefecture you can see kilns and shopfronts where artisans pass on old techniques.
The territory is organized around three arrondissements, connected by regional roads and rail links. Most towns lie along the main routes, and smaller villages are best reached by car.
The village of Oradour-sur-Glane has remained untouched since June 1944 and still shows the traces of a wartime atrocity with its burnt buildings and deserted streets. Visitors can walk through the abandoned settlement and view a memorial that documents the event.
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