Vienne (river) - Course

Course

The Vienne rises as a spring in the department of the Corrèze, at the foot of Mont Audouze, on the Plateau de Millevaches, near Peyrelevade. It then flows roughly west to the city of Limoges where it once played a major role in the famous Limoges porcelain industry. A little way after Limoges it takes a turn to the north. En route to its confluence with the Loire, the Vienne is joined by the rivers Creuse and Clain. Finally, after a journey of 372km it reaches the Loire at Candes-Saint-Martin in the department of Indre-et-Loire.

The Vienne flows through the following départements and towns:

• Corrèze: Peyrelevade
• Creuse
• Haute-Vienne: Eymoutiers, Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, Limoges, Aixe-sur-Vienne, Saint-Junien
• Charente: Chabanais, Confolens
• Vienne: L'Isle-Jourdain, Lussac-les-Châteaux, Chauvigny, Châtellerault
• Indre-et-Loire: L'Île-Bouchard, Chinon

Tributaries include:

• The Creuse, which joins the Vienne north of Châtellerault
• The Clain, which flows through the city of Poitiers, and joins the Vienne in Châtellerault
• The Briance, which joins the Vienne in Condat-sur-Vienne
• The Taurion, which joins the Vienne north of Saint-Priest-Taurion