The Creuse (; oc, Cruesa) is a long river in western France, a tributary of the
Vienne.
Its source is in the
Plateau de Millevaches, a north-western extension of the
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
.
Course
The Creuse flows northwest through the following
departments and towns:
*
Creuse
Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the ea ...
department (named after the river):
Aubusson.
*
Indre
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
department:
Argenton-sur-Creuse,
Le Blanc
Le Blanc (; oc, Lo Blanc; la, Oblincum Cuborum) is a commune and a subprefecture of the department of Indre, and the region of Centre-Val de Loire, central France.
Geography
Le Blanc is the main city of the Parc naturel régional de la Br ...
.
*
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.[Yzeures-sur-Creuse
Yzeures-sur-Creuse (, literally ''Yzeures on Creuse'') is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, central France.
It is one of the oldest towns in Touraine, occupation dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era earlier than 10,000 BCE. Today, ...]
,
Descartes
*
Vienne department:
La Roche-Posay
La Roche-Posay () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Over ...
The Creuse flows into the
Vienne about north of
Châtellerault
Châtellerault (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Châteulrô/Chateleràud''; oc, Chastelairaud) is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France. It is located in the northeast of the former province Poitou, and the re ...
. It receives its longest tributary, the
Gartempe
The Gartempe () is a French river, long. It is a left tributary of the Creuse, which it joins in La Roche-Posay. Its source is in the municipality of Peyrabout.
Among its tributaries are the Anglin, the Brame, the Semme and the Ardour.
The ...
, in La Roche-Posay.
The Creuse valley is the setting for paintings by the so-called
Crozant School
The Crozant School (French: ''École de Crozant'') is named after Crozant, a Commune of France at the northern limit of the department of Creuse. It consists of a host of landscape painters who worked from 1830 to 1950 on the banks of the Grande ...
, including works by
Armand Guillaumin
Armand Guillaumin (; February 16, 1841 – June 26, 1927) was a French impressionist painter and lithographer.
Biography Early years
Born Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin in Paris, he worked at his uncle's lingerie shop while attending even ...
and a series of vivid landscapes by the Bordeaux artist
Alfred Smith.
Dams and lakes
There are six hydroelectric dams on the river. Three are in the
Creuse
Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the ea ...
département with one at
Chambon-Sainte-Croix above
Anzême
Anzême (; oc, Anzesme) is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France.
Geography
An area of farming and quarrying, comprising the village and several hamlets situated by the banks of the Creuse, som ...
, one at Les Chezelles near
Le Bourg-d'Hem
Le Bourg-d’Hem is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France.
Geography
A farming and forestry area comprising the village and a few small hamlets situated some north of Guéret at the junction of t ...
and one at L'Âge upstream of
La Celle-Dunoise
La-Celle-Dunoise (; oc, La Cela de Dun) is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France.
Geography
A very picturesque farming and quarrying village situated some northwest of Guéret, at the junction ...
. The remaining three are in the
Indre
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
including the
Éguzon Dam The Éguzon dam is a hydroelectric dam on the river Creuse
Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Ind ...
which was opened in 1926 and was, at the time, the largest dam in Europe. The lakes created by the dams are popular tourist destinations and several have artificial beaches and leisure facilities.
Main tributaries
Left bank:
* Beauze
*
Sédelle
The Sédelle is a river in the Creuse department, central France; it is a tributary of the river Creuse and a sub-affluent of the Loire.
Geography
It is long. The river spring is located near Lizières. The river has a meandering path. It ...
*
Gartempe
The Gartempe () is a French river, long. It is a left tributary of the Creuse, which it joins in La Roche-Posay. Its source is in the municipality of Peyrabout.
Among its tributaries are the Anglin, the Brame, the Semme and the Ardour.
The ...
Right bank:
* Rozeille
*
Petite Creuse
The Petite Creuse (french: la Petite Creuse, the small Creuse) is a long river in Allier and Creuse departments, in central France. Its source is at Treignat, southeast of the village. It is a left tributary of the Creuse into which it flows a ...
*
Bouzanne
The Bouzanne (french: la Bouzanne, ) is an long river in the Indre ''département'' of central France, and is a tributary of the Creuse. Its source is in the commune of Aigurande, northwest of the town itself, near the hamlet of ''la Bouzanne'' ...
* Bouzanteuil
* Suin
*
Claise
* Esves
References
External links
*
Rivers of Centre-Val de Loire
Rivers of Creuse
Rivers of France
Rivers of Indre
Rivers of Indre-et-Loire
Rivers of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Rivers of Vienne
{{France-river-stub