La Souterraine is an area of farming and light industry, comprising the town and a few small hamlets. It is situated some 20 miles (32 km) west of Guéret, at the junction of the D1, D912, D951 and the N145 roads. It is also served by a TER railway link.
The small river Sédelle, a tributary of the Creuse, flows through the town.
The sources of the Benaize, a tributary of the Anglin, and the Brame, a tributary of the Gartempe, are both in the commune.
History
There is evidence of pre-Roman occupation here, attested by the discovery of Stone Age tools and a menhir. Remains of Roman villas and temples have been unearthed. In medieval times, a church and fortified walls were built. The name of the town, translating as ‘subterranean’, comes from the underground parts of the church, the crypt.