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

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

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 ...

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