USSEL, 90km west of Clermont-Ferrand and 60km northeast of Tulle, is where the land begins its gradual descent to the uppermost reaches of the Dordogne valley, thickly wooded and cut by deep tributary valleys. It's not a place with much to see, though the town is pleasant enough, with some attractive sixteenth- and seventeenth-century houses scattered about the central part, while a giant battered granite eagle on the place Voltaire stands as the sole reminder of a Roman settlement hereabouts.One building worth a look is the house of the local lords, the Maison du Ducs de Ventadour, who moved here from their draughty fortress in the hills to the south. Just off place de la République behind the church, it has a very provincial and rather amateurish Renaissance grandeur, perhaps aping their rich metropolitan cousins. Also worth a quick look is the local Musée du Pays d'Ussel (July & Aug daily 10am–noon & 2–7pm; free), one half of which is dedicated to traditional crafts and trades of the region, located in the eighteenth-century Hôtel Bonnot de Bay on rue Michelet, parallel to avenue Thiers. The N89, the Clermont road, passes through the town centre. At the top of the hill, it becomes avenue Carnot and begins to descend towards the gare SNCF. The tourist office is on the wide place Voltaire (June & Sept daily 10am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug Mon–Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–7pm, Sun 10am–noon; Oct–May Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–5pm; tel 05.55.72.11.50). The most comfortable place to stay is the striking 1970s Les Gravades (tel 05.55.46.06.00, fax 05.55.46.06.10; €40–55; closed mid-Dec to mid-Jan; restaurant from €15), a couple of kilometres east of Ussel on the N89 and set in its own grounds. Alternatively, try Le Terminus, next to the train station (tel & fax 05.55.96.23.39; €30–40; restaurant from €10, closed Christmas & Sun eve off season). There's a municipal campsite (tel 05.55.72.30.05, fax 05.55.72.95.19; closed Oct–March) just off the road to Tulle. Your best bet for food is one of the several brasseries on avenue Carnot, or the cluster of restaurants in front of the station.
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