The Pans de Travassac
The Pans de Travassac, a unique tourist site in Europe to discover with family or friends. The Pans de Travassac is inevitably one of our top 14 places to visit. Just 10 minutes from Brive-la-Gaillarde, in the commune of Donzenac, this tourist site is a unique and sensational walk in a unique setting. It's an outdoor activity that's as astonishing as it is surprising. The immensity of the slate walls will make you dizzy!
The Pans de Travassac: a hardy and responsible destination!
- Discover a natural site that is unique in Europe, where the mineral blends with the plant.
- Appreciate the authenticity of the slate-cutters, who will show you the age-old skills of slate-cutting that have been passed down from generation to generation since the 17th century.
- Take advantage of a museum housed in a gallery that plunges you into the life of slate quarry workers over the centuries.
- Travassac slate: renowned for its geological qualities (unalterable, flexible, waterproof), it is found on the roofs of major monuments such as the Mont St-Michel Abbey.
- Get dizzy with slate roofs.
Travassac: a tourist site unique in Europe
The Pans de Travassac tourist site invites you to discover the world of the slate quarry workers, who have been working the stone in an exceptional setting since the 17th century. The combination of cliffs, minerals and plants is perfect for a majestic spectacle.
What are the Travassac slate quarries?
We are on a former slate quarry that has been developed and secured. The pans are huge slabs of rock that have not been quarried. The spaces we're walking through are where the slate was extracted, shaped and cut to cover the roofs of Corrèze and many other places.
This site is doubly exceptional, as the vein is still being exploited in the valley and the slate quarrymen taking part in the tour are still working. This is becoming a rarity in our region.
Ancestral know-how
Slate quarrymen work the stone using age-old techniques of reburning, cleaving and cutting. With the expertise of these men, a stone becomes a slate. In the heart of a gallery, you'll find a museum retracing the history and life of the Travassac slate quarry workers over the centuries. A family visit that will teach children and adults alike.
Guided tours of the Travassac slate quarries
The guided tour lasts 1h30 and will teach you more about this slate site.
Visiting hours for the Pans
- May, June, September and October: every Sunday and public holiday, guided tours depart every 30 minutes from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
- July and August: every day, guided tours depart every 30 minutes from 10.30am to 11.30am and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
- April and November by reservation only (groups of 20 people minimum)
Prices for the Travassac pans in 2025
- Adults pay €10.50.
- Children: €6.80 (aged 8 to 18). Free for children under 8
- Adult groups: on request
Practical information
When should you come to The Pans de Travassac?
- From 1 July to 31 August every day from 10.30am to 11.30am and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
- In May, June, September and October: Sundays and public holidays, 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
- Early April to early November: by reservation only on 05 55 85 66 33.
How do I get to Travassac?
Directions to the pans are signposted in the village of Travassac. 12 km from Brive, a 20-minute journey. A20 motorway: exit 48.
Bon plan The incredible slates of Travassac
Is the slate synonymous with school, blackboards and tyrannical teachers? Why not revisit your copybook on a visit to the Pans de Travassac? Straight out of a film set, these 30-metre-high cliffs will send you back to your school days. You'll gaze up at them, mesmerised by the beauty of this site, unique in Europe. After this exploration, it's time to meet the masters of the site, the slate quarrymen who have been working the stone since the 17th century.
The Travassac slate quarries
19270 Donzenac
05 55 85 66 33
www.lespansdetravassac.com
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