| Vienne Vinhana (Occitan) | |
|---|---|
 The Vienne in Limoges | |
.png) | |
| Location | |
| Country | France |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Plateau de Millevaches |
| • elevation | 880 m (2,890 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Loire |
• coordinates | 47°12′45″N0°4′31″E / 47.21250°N 0.07528°E /47.21250; 0.07528 (Loire-Vienne) |
| Length | 363 km (226 mi) |
| Basin size | 21,105 km2 (8,149 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 203 m3/s (7,200 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Loire→Atlantic Ocean |
TheVienne (French pronunciation:[vjɛn]ⓘ;Occitan:Vinhana,pronounced[viɲaˈno]) is a major river in south-westernFrance. It is 363 km (226 mi) long.[1] It is a significant left tributary of the lowerLoire. It supports numeroushydroelectric dams, and it is the main river of the northern part of theNouvelle-Aquitaine region.
Two Frenchdepartments are named after the Vienne:Haute-Vienne (87) in the Limousin region andVienne (86) both in theNouvelle-Aquitaine region.
The Vienne rises as a spring in the department ofCorrèze, at the foot of Mont Audouze, on thePlateau de Millevaches, nearPeyrelevade. It then flows roughly west to the city ofLimoges 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 riversCreuse andClain. Finally, after a journey of 372 km it reaches the Loire atCandes-Saint-Martin in the department ofIndre-et-Loire.
The Vienne flows through the following departments and towns:
Tributaries include:
