The waterfalls at Gimel-les-Cascades are cited as one of the must-see sights in La Corrèze, and they are a short drive from Tulle, so we went to see them. They are suitably impressive. We can see them today only because a scheme by a German engineer to turn them into a hydro-electric plant was thwarted. So instead of an anonymous building and a set of concrete pipes, we can see the waterfalls pretty much as they were then.
The site is privately owned, is protected by the state, and costs €6 to get in. There are three falls in all, plus rapids in between, and you can see them all from a footpath that parallels the river. The path is uneven but there is a handrail for those of unsure footing. It's a pretty place.
The village of Gimel was tucked away in the hilly landscape, difficult to reach, and poor. The hydro-electric plant would have brought wealth to the village, so the fight against its construction was controversial. The fight was led by a M Vuillier, a reporter for Hachette, from the days when they set off with a notebook, made sketches, took notes and reported back. He discovered the village and retired there, eventually to die there.
2 comments:
This looks a lovely place to visit and walk.
Circumventing German engineers - a vital task for nature.
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