Saint-Sylvestre: Forests, Hiking Trails and Heritage

Saint-Sylvestre is a destination for travelers who want to make forests, hiking and local heritage the focus of their stay. Nearly 75% of the commune is forested. As you plan your trip, you can consider whether longer hikes, natural sites or the history of the area will shape your stay.

Forests and nature conservation in Saint-Sylvestre

The Réserve naturelle des Sauvages is a protected area for wild flora and fauna. It was designated on November 20, 2015, and covers about 83 hectares. It includes two ponds created by the monks of Grandmont. Trails from the reserve lead to the Tourbière des Dauges and the Chapelle Saint Psalmet. The nature experience therefore encompasses both the protected area itself and trails to the two named destinations.

Hiking trails: distance, difficulty and route

The Chemin des Moines is a difficult 19.5 km hike that takes five hours. It begins in Grandmont, the historic site of the former abbey, and links four ponds created by the monks several centuries ago: the two ponds at Les Sauvages, the Étang de l’Âne and the Étang de Malessart.

The Chemin des Carriers starts in Saint-Sylvestre, is 9.2 km long and is suitable for everyone. It follows forest tracks, passes through typical villages and goes by old washhouses. The 19.5 km Chemin des Moines, rated difficult, is longer than the 9.2 km Chemin des Carriers, which is suitable for everyone. Check local conditions before setting out.

The Chemin des Carriers includes an educational trail through granite quarries. Information panels explore the work of quarrymen, who shaped the region’s history. Surviving traces of granite quarrying include rails and historic mining carts. The route combines a walk with insights into the area’s quarrying history. The Gendarmes et Voleurs de Temps race also starts in Ambazac; most of its course runs through the territory of Saint-Sylvestre.

Church, Grandmont and granite heritage

The parish church of Saint-Sylvestre was built in the 13th century, extended in the 15th century, and completed with a bell tower and sacristy in the 17th century. A reliquary bust of Saint Étienne de Muret is displayed in a niche on a church pillar in the village center; it is kept in the parish church. The bust is made of embossed, chased, openwork, cut-out and gilded silver, as well as carved, silvered wood. Its materials and multi-part craftsmanship give a visit to the church a tangible connection to the decorative arts.

Grandmont is a village in the commune of Saint-Sylvestre, at the foot of the 702-meter-high Puy de Sauvagnac. For seven centuries, Grandmont was the center of an important religious order and a major abbey, which has now been completely demolished. Visits to the Grandmont site are arranged on request throughout the year. The site thus combines a tangible opportunity to visit with its long, but concluded, abbey history.

The villages also contribute to the history of granite: their renovated old houses are made of granite. Many of the residents’ ancestors were quarrymen and stonemasons who helped build numerous buildings in Limoges. Along with the surviving quarrying traces on the educational trail, the houses show two different connections to local granite working—as a building material and as a craft.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Solignac, Pierrefitte, Dournazac, Saint-Auvent, Peyrat-Le-Château, Saint-Genest-sur-Roselle, Maisonnais-Sur-Tardoire, Blanzac.

For the broader travel overview: Haute-Vienne.