The Vienne is one of the most important rivers in south-western France. It supports numerous hydro-electric dams, it is a significant tributary of the lower Loire and it is the main river of the Limousin region and also of the eastern part of the Poitou-Charentes region.

Two French départements are named after the Vienne river: the Haute-Vienne (87) in the Limousin region and the Vienne (86) in the Poitou-Charentes region.

Course

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The Vienne rises as a spring in the department of the Corrèze, at the foot of Mont Audouze, on the Plateau de Millevaches. It then flows roughly south and 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 approximately 390km it reaches the Loire at Candes-Saint-Martin in the department of Indre-et-Loire.

Towns and cities along the river include:

• Châtellerault
• Chauvigny
• Chinon
• Confolens
• L'Isle-Jourdain
• Limoges

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.

Rivers of France | Loire basin | Haute-Vienne | Vienne

Vienne (Fluss) | Vienne (rivière) | Vienne (fiume) | Vienne (folyó) | Vienne (rivier) | Rio Vienne