Curemonte, Corrèze, Limousin

Description:

Geography and Transport Links

Curemonte is a small village located in the far south western corner of Corrèze, near to the border with both Aquitaine and the Midi-Pyrénées.  It is located on minor roads almost equal distance from the D820 and the D940.  Rail services are available a short distance away at Veyrac, and the village is well placed for access to a number of different airports.  Whilst Rodez airport is the closest by distance, Limoges-Bellegarde airport is quicker to get to, and offers a bigger range of year-round services to the UK (136km/88mi - 1h44mins).

Climate

The climate here is temperate, with warm summers and short, and not excessively cold winters.  Average summer temperatures range between 24C to 27C (12C to 14C low), and in winter this drops to 9C to 10C (2C to 3C low).  The wettest month on average is April with 6.04cm of precipitation, whilst the driest is February with 3.33cm.  Curemonte is part of a zone which receives between 1750 and 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France (les plus Beaux Villages de France), Curemonte is remarkable for the fact that it has no fewer than three castles, as well as other notable architecture.  The village has an elevated position, overlooking the Sourdoire and Maumont valleys, with spectacular views of the Limousin countryside.  There are three churches dating from the 11c and 12c, with the church of St Genest housing a museum of religious artefacts.

Economy

Curemonte is part of the Brive economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 6.4%, compared against the regional rate of 7.2% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).

Facilities

Curemonte has a few restaurants and a cafe, but for other amenities including a supermarket, dentists and doctors Vayrac (11km).  The closest outdoor swimming pool is at Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, and this pool is only open in July and August.  For year round swimming there are 2 indoor pools in Brive-la-Gaillard (33km).

Education

There is a state nursery/primary school in the village, and the nearest secondary school (college) is in Vayrac.  For college (lycee) the nearest is in Saint Céré (29km) or for more choice Brive (33km).

Key Stats

Of the properties in Curemonte, 50% are classed as primary residences, with 36.2% being classed as second homes.  There are more females than males resident here (50.7% vs 49.3%), and there are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (36.3% vs 21.3%). The number of retired people is also more (34.1% vs 18.2%).  The percentage of people below the age of 19 is lower than the national average (16.6% vs 24.6%)

Key Facilities and Services: