How to get there and places to stay
when visiting Oradour-sur-Glane

General (including Tourist Office)        

    The first point to remember is that whilst Oradour-sur-Glane is often referred to simply as, "Oradour", there are in fact seven places in France which include the name "Oradour" as a part of their title and it is obviously important to make sure that you visit the right one. The second point to remember is that the town name is often spelled in the literature and on the internet as "Oradour sur Glane" without the hyphens, however on this website I am following the French mapping convention which includes them, see: The Oradours of France.

    Oradour-sur-Glane is in the Haute-Vienne, Department 87 of France and is located about 15 miles West of Limoges on the D9, which is off the N141 (E603). It takes about 25-30 minutes to travel by car on quiet roads between the two places. This part of France falls within the area known today as, the Languedoc (The Land of the Oc). "Oc" is the Occitan word for "Yes" and Occitan was, until quite recently, used locally instead of French. In the Occitan language, Oradour-sur-Glane, is spelled as, "Orador de Glana".

    The area of the Haute-Vienne itself is predominantly agricultural in nature, with little industry, apart from that in Limoges itself.

    To get to Oradour-sur-Glane by public transport means taking the train to Limoges and then either bus or taxi out to Oradour. The more usual method this day is to travel direct by car. Assuming that you are coming from the north, take the A20 Autoroute (Motorway) south from Vierzon and follow the tourist signs for Oradour, which begin just north of Limoges. Most motorways in France are toll roads and are not especially cheap to use, but they are relatively traffic free and fast with plentiful stopping places. As a guide to the cost from Calais to Limoges, reckon on about €40 each way for all the tolls (the A20 itself is toll free). The speed limit on all motorways is 130 kph (81mph) in the dry and 110 kph (69mph) in the wet (when the lower limit applies, it is indicated by illuminated roadside signs). I recommend using the Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas for France at a scale of 1:200000 (1cm = 2km) as this shows all routes and also indicates which Autoroutes (Motorways) charge tolls and which are toll-free.

    Travel times and distances from some French cities are: Calais 6¾ hours and 440 miles. Paris 4¼ hours and 260 miles. Bordeaux 2¾ hours and 130 miles. Cherbourg 6¼ hours and 370 miles. All these times and distances are based on taking Autoroutes whenever possible and driving at the maximum permitted speeds. If you are not comfortable with driving at 81mph (130kph) on Autoroutes, then additional time will have to be allowed for the journey.

    Another option which I have not personally tried, but those of you living in the European area might like to consider, is to fly. Currently the budget airline Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com) offers very cheap flights from Stansted and other airports in the UK, to Limoges, which can make a fly & car hire visit, far quicker than driving through France, especially after you have taken the channel crossing time into account. It could be worthwhile checking with other carriers as well, if this option appeals to you.

    Limoges is famous for its porcelain industry and if you are so inclined there are factory outlets in the city where you can buy both perfect and seconds from all the famous makes. The French National Porcelain Museum (Musée Andrien-Dubouchée) is located within the city just off the N141, with good car parking facilities immediately adjacent.

    The Tourist Office in Oradour is located at:

    Office de Tourisme.

    Place du Champ de Foire.

    87520 Oradour-sur-Glane.

    France.

    GPS Co-Ords for the car park entrance for the Tourist Office in decimal notation are: North 45.93248, East 1.03299

    Telephone:  +33 (0)5 55 03 13 73 for voice and  +33 (0)5 55 03 24 92 for FAX (the "+" symbol should be replaced by your country's international access code and the "0" in brackets omitted when calling from outside France)

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The Centre de la Mémoire     

    The current visitor centre for the ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane is called the, Centre de la Mémoire and it opened in April 1999, replacing the two small kiosks at the north and south ends of the main street. It is on your left as you enter the new town from Limoges and has ample free parking facilities without any height restrictions. The Centre is open every day of the week, but beware the long lunch break between 12:00 and 14:00. During this time the reception area may possibly not be staffed, but the ruins will remain open: see the town map

• During opening hours you can park your vehicle at no charge on the car park at the Centre de la Mémoire.
   
• GPS Co-Ords for the car park entrance in decimal notation are: North 45.92911, East 1.03319

    The main part of the Centre is free access, but for a charge of €7-70 (as of February 2011) you can enter a special section which provides more background information and watch a video in French (with handsets that provide an English translation). The cost of seeing this exhibition has risen steadily since the Centre opened in April 1999. From April 1999 to February 2002 it was 30FF (€4.90) and from February 2002 to February 2006 it was €6-00. It is in this section that there is a display board that attributes the massacre to, SS Commander Dickmann.

    There is often an additional war, or terrorist related exhibition held in the Centre and usually there will be a separate admission charge to enter this section. For example, in 2009 the theme was the terrorist attack on 9-11 in the USA.

    There is no charge at all to enter the ruins themselves via the Centre, which is open every day of the week as follows:

    The postal address of the Centre is:

    Centre de la Mémoire.

    87520. Oradour-sur-Glane.

    France.

    GPS Co-Ords for the car park entrance for the Centre de la Mémoire in decimal notation are: North 45.92911, East 1.03319

    Telephone numbers are: +33 (0)5 55 43 04 30 for voice and +33 (0)5 55 43 04 31 for FAX (the "+" symbol should be replaced by your country's international access code and the "0" in brackets left out when calling from outside France)

    The website for the Centre is shown on the Links page

    Note 1: That in order to preserve the ruins in the, 'best possible ruined state', frequent re-building work is carried out as necessary and this may prevent access to
    all parts of the town during your visit.

    Note 2: The only building in the ruins that is normally open for public access is the church, all the other properties can be viewed from the outside only.

    Note 3: Photography for private use is permitted without restriction throughout the ruins wherever you can walk.

    Note 4: Dogs are not allowed in either the Centre de la Mémoire or the ruins (this policy does not apply to guide dogs).

    Note 5: There is wheelchair access to the ruins via a lift on the ruins side of the Centre de la Mémoire. It is possible to wheel a wheelchair throughout the streets and the cemetery of Oradour, but there is no wheelchair access into the church. The wheelchair access is only really viable during the opening hours of the Centre, if you were attempting to gain access, or leave after the centre had closed, then you would have to use the out of hours gate and run the chair over a grassed area to / from the D9 (see above).

    All prices and times were correct as of July 2010, if you find they have changed please let me know and I will update this page.

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Hotels and other places to stay in the area

• Hotels in Oradour-sur-Glane ............

    There are several hotels in the new Oradour, but one that I have used in the past is the, Hotel de la Glane, in the Place du Général de Gaulle. This hotel is in the Logis de France chain and in 2010 cost €49 per night for a double room and another €8 for breakfast. Evening meals cost about €25 per head and for that you get three courses and wine. The restaurant is closed on Monday nights, but you can eat either next door at a separate restaurant, or walk down the main road to the Hotel Milord. You can book a room using the English language internet booking service on the Logis de France website. The hotel is extremely easy to find, just drive into town from Limoges on the N141 and it is on your right when you come to the Town Hall. The new town is quite small and it would be very difficult to get lost, see the town map of Oradour-sur-Glane new town for a street map (the hotel is between the symbols for the Town Hall and the Post Office). If you want to visit on any of the important anniversary dates, such as 10th June, or 11th November, then it is essential to book well in advance.

    I have been given a report to the effect that the Hotel Milord on the main road, just past the church, has a good restaurant (closed on Sunday nights), but I have no personal experience of it and only mention it to point out that there is a choice of place to stay in the new town. This hotel is not in the Logis de France network, but curiously it is run by the same family as the Hotel de la Glane.   

• Other places to stay in the area .............
   
• Le Moulin de la Fauvette. This is a Bed and Breakfast establishment at La Fauvette, a small hamlet only 3 km to the north-west of Oradour-sur-Glane. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Chambres D'Hôtes à Nouic. This is a small hotel run by a British family in Nouic, about 15 minutes away from Oradour-sur-Glane. There is a special offer for the winter, i.e. 1st of November to the 1st of March, of three nights for the price of two, plus, the first night's evening meal at half price. Customers will have to mention, "Oradour winter offer" to benefit from the promotion. There is a family connection with the below listed: Le Gite de Nouic. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Le Gite de Nouic. This is a Gite run by a French - English family in Nouic, about 15 minutes away from Oradour-sur-Glane. There is a family connection with the above listed: Chambres D'Hôtes à Nouic. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Villechenoux. This is a Bed and Breakfast establishment run by a British family and is located near Nantiat, about 25 minutes away from Oradour by car. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Fleur De Lys. This is a Bed and Breakfast establishment run by a British family and is located at Ansac sur Vienne, about 30 minutes away from Oradour by car. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Motobreaks. The accommodation comprises of a renovated 150 year old Manor house set in mature enclosed gardens. All rooms are en-suite with linen & bedding provided. Evening meals can be provided on request or you can make use of the local amenities. The property is within 30 minutes of Oradour. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Riverside Lets. These are two properties run by a British family on the banks of the river Gartempe, about 10 minutes by car from La Souterraine and 40 from Limoges. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Limousin-Cottage. This is a self-catering holiday cottage run by a British couple and is located about 40 minutes drive to the north of Oradour via the A20 Autoroute. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.
   
• Les Marronniers (The Chestnut Trees). This is a Gites complex in the Creuse run by a British family and it is within about 90 minutes drive of Oradour. I have not personally tried or visited the accommodation.

    I am willing to accept new entries for this accommodation list at no cost. If you would like your property added, please write with full details to: michael@oradour.info This section of the website is checked regularly and any dead links removed as soon as discovered.

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Parking for Cars and places to stay for Motorhomes, Caravans and Tents in the area

    Parking ..........

• There is plenty of free car parking space in Oradour-sur-Glane, starting with that at the Centre de la Mémoire, this parking can accommodate both cars and Motorhomes (Camping-Cars) during daylight hours. In addition there is a large car-park just off the roundabout by the Centre de la Mémoire on the D9, see the town plan for details. If towing a caravan you are probably best advised to leave the caravan on a site, such as one of those listed below and visit without it, as parking in the new town has not been designed to accommodate such long outfits.

    Aire for Camping-Cars (Motorcaravans, or RVs) ..........

• There has been an Aire de Repos (often simply called an, "Aire" in French) for Camping-Cars in Oradour-sur-Glane, since 2004. It is clearly signposted as, "Aire de Repos" from the roundabout leading to the Centre de la Mémoire and it is located at the end of the Rue du Stade: see the town map. The Aire itself is free to use overnight and has marked places for 27 outfits (and unmarked capacity for many more). There is a water and electricity point (a borne) where you can get 100 litres of water, or an hour of electricity for €2. Also provided are washbasins (cold water only) and toilets, a children's play area and even a barbeque point. The Aire is open all year and is located adjacent to the sports and football ground on the Rue du Stade: see the town map and view overlooking and view from entrance and view of a Camping-Car using the service point. It is worth knowing that apart from a few spaces near the toilets, the Aire is not very horizontal and so levelling ramps may be required by Camping-Cars depending on how level you like to be when stopped.
   
• GPS coordinates (in decimal notation) for the entrance to the Aire are: North 45.93570, East 1.02472
   
• During opening hours you can park your car or motorcaravan at no charge on the car park at the Centre de la Mémoire.

    Motorhome (Camping-Car), Caravan and Camping sites ..........

• Camping des Alouettes in Cognac-la-Forêt. This is a pleasant rural site that I have stayed at in 2003. The website has English, French and Dutch sections. Telephone 05 55 03 26 93. GPS coordinates (in decimal notation) are: North 45.82494, East 0.99674
   

• Camp Municipal d'Uzurat This is a pleasant site just on the edge of Limoges and by the side of a lake, with a supermarket within easy walking distance. Telephone 05 55 38 49 43. GPS coordinates (in decimal notation) are: North 45.86951, East 1.27370

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Currency (the euro)

    For those wishing to visit France and see for yourselves the locations mentioned in this website, remember that starting on 1st January 2002 France changed its currency from the French Franc (FF) to the euro (€). This process was completed on 17 February 2002 and now only euro are legal tender. The exchange rate for the Franc to the euro has been fixed at, €1 equals FF 6.55957 and I believe that you can still change old French Franc bank notes only to euro by way of the Bank de France.

    At the time of writing (January 2011) the exchange rate for the $ to the euro was, $1-00 equals approximately €0-73 and for the £ it was £1-00 equals approximately €1-12. Before making any plans of your own, be sure to check the current exchange rate for yourself.

     It was not possible to obtain euro before 1st January 2002, but traveller's cheques were available several months in advance for the new currency.

    In these nasty Credit Crunch days, the exchange rates are subject to some volatility and I recommend making your own investigations before doing any serious planning for a trip to France (or anywhere else for that matter).

    In (British) English the plural of euro, is euro (not euros, or Euros) and for cent, it is cent, not cents. Both euro and cent are intended to be written in lower case. The currency is divided into euro and cent, with 100 cent to the euro, so €2-55 is spoken as, "two euro and fifty-five cent". These intentions are often ignored and it is common to hear and see written the term, "Euros" and "Cents". In France I have often heard French people refer to Euros and Centimes, so things are not as black-and-white as official sources would wish.

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10th June commemoration ceremony

    Every year on the 10th of June, a commemoration ceremony is held in Oradour-sur-Glane to mark the anniversary of the tragedy. This event takes the form of a service at the church in the new town, followed by a short meeting in the Town Hall, followed by a visit to the school memorial, then on to the ruined church and finally a wreath laying at the main memorial in the cemetery. Usually the ceremony is attended by various dignitaries representing local and regional government as well as Robert Hébras and Marcel Darthout. On major anniversaries, representatives from the national government will also attend. See the Picture Gallery for more images of the 65th anniversary.

    For the timing of the event and the exact program to be followed, it is best to enquire at the Centre de la Mémoire the day before. It must be remembered that the survivors of the massacre are now in their 80's and inevitably will become less physically able as the years pass. As a guide, you can expect the church service to start at about 12:00

    It is obvious that many visitors who come to Oradour by Camping-Car, do not realise the significance of the 10th of June and whilst the Aire de Repos was quite full on the 8th and 9th of June in 2009, it was very quiet on the 10th. This obviously means that it is not too difficult to get a space to stay on the Aire, but be sure to get there early for the major dates, such as the 70th anniversary on Tuesday 10th June 2014, when advance publicity will be sure to boost the number of attendees.

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© Michael Williams: revised 27 January 2012.