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Limoges (and surrounding area), Guides:

City Overview
Key places to visit
What's on?
Getting to the city
Getting around
Accommodation
Eating out
Nightlife
What’s new?

Around the city
The facts you need
A perfect day
Flybe services
An insider’s perspective
Shopping
Commercial

City Overview

Limoges’ exquisite chinaware is famed the world over, but it’s also a fascinating city in its own right. Packed with ancient buildings, quaint old streets, museums, gardens and galleries, it continues to be a Mecca for archaeologists who are still unearthing Roman relics.

This is the capital of the Limousin départment and lies on the banks of the River Vienne, 95 km north-east of Pèrigeux. The Limousin stretches south to the Dordogne valley and includes the beautiful towns of Brive and Tulle. This is spectacularly beautiful countryside, wooded and hilly and dotted with the famous red-tinged Limousin breed of cattle. There’s a handy mountain rail line linking Limoges with Ussel if you want to explore the region, and although it’s one of the quietest areas in France, there are plenty of pretty villages well-stocked with hotels for travellers.

Historic heart of Limoges town is la Citè, charming to stroll around with lots of half-timbered buildings and cobbled streets. Bizarrely, the most interesting and attractive area concerns the trade of butchers, indeed a road, museum and chapel are dedicated to their art and it’s all a great deal prettier than it sounds. Especially worth a visit is the Maison Traditionnelle de la Boucherie, the museum dedicated to the prestigious butchers who have wielded power here since the 1200s.

Aside from its thriving porcelain industry, the town has more than 30 breweries and, being a university town, boasts plenty of youthful joie de vivre. It’s always been synonymous with luxury, even back in the sixth century one of its saints, Eloi, was a goldsmith, but it’s the manufacture of porcelain and enamel that put it on the world map in the 1760s. The trade and its proceeds have lavished wealth upon Limoges and given it an elegant beauty, just take a look at the porcelain mosaic fountains, small artisan boutiques and delicate carvings in the Gothic cathedral.

The town also offers visitors a number of other pleasant surprises for lovers of art and culture. High above the Vienne river, the Musée Municipal de l’Evêché houses Gallo-Roman frescoes, rare examples of Celtic writing and a collection of impressive Romanesque tombs. The massive Gothic 13th century cathedral is another must-see. Built in Flamboyant style, the north transept is totally overblown with elongated arches, clusters of pinnacles and ornate windows and gallery. Just behind it is another old chapel, now a craftsmen’s museum where some of France’s finest examples of carpentry, cabinet-making, metal and stonework are on show.

If you’re feeling peckish, you’re spoilt for choice. Les Halles, a covered market, is perhaps the best place for local colour or shopping for culinary delights. Stalls are laden with fresh cheeses, meat, fish, just-baked breads and pastries, the aromas alone are enough to have you drooling at the mouth. The alleyways inside are full of atmosphere, noise and bustle, a mouth-watering cornucopia of French life at its best. And don’t forget the beer. This town takes it seriously, until 1940 there were no fewer than 49 breweries. There are still plenty to try today, the Brasserie St Martial on place Denis-Dussoubs brews seven varieties alone.

Key places to visit

Whether you’re fond of porcelain or not, the display at Musée National Adrien Dubouche is unmissable. It’s a beautiful building in its own right and houses the largest ceramics collection in Europe, spanning centuries. An excellent video traces the history, far more interesting than you might think. Visit www.musee-adriendubouche.fr or tel: +33 (0) 5 55 33 08 50, open everyday but Tuesdays, 10.00-17.45 during July and August, 10.00-12.30 and 14.00-17.45pm from September to June. Entry €4 (£2.8).

If that whetted your appetite, The Musée Municipal de l’Evêché, an 18th century bishop’s palace, is filled with the city’s showpiece collection of enamelware dating back to the 12th century. There’s also a small collection of Egyptian art and 19th-century paintings, including five by Renoir who was born in Limoges in 1841. It’s next to the cathedral in la Cité, Tel : +33 (0) 5 55 45 98 10. Open daily, except Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. in June). Open daily from July to September from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.. Closed on 1 Janury, 1 May, 11 November and 25 December. Admission free.

The Gothic Cathédrale St-Etienne is a landmark for miles around and was built on the site of a Roman temple. Inside, you can’t help feeling uplifted, with the soaring height of the pillars and massive vaults, little wonder it took 600 years to complete. It’s on place St-Etienne and offers free tours in French. Contact the tourist office for more information. Surrounding the cathedral, the Evêché Botanical Gardens are superb.

Don’t miss the Maison Traditionelle de la Boucherie, 36 rue de la Boucherie, for a snapshot of life as a butcher in bygone days, entry free and tours in English. Cross the street to Chapel St-Aurelien to honour the patron saint of butchers and at the top of the street is the market.
Limoges’ famous ceramics decorate Les Halles, the nearby Pavilion du Verdurier and the fountain in front of Limoges city hall.

If you’re interested in the manufacture of porcelain today, the Manufacture Bernardaud offers factory tours, tel: +33 (0) 5 55 10 55 91, by reservation only and cost €4 (£2.8).

What's on?

2ND SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH: Step back in time and spend a leisurely Sunday at the Puces de la Cite antiques market at the Place de la Cathedrale.
You can rifle through a wide range of antiques and spruce up your home, whether it be with grand and ornate furniture or quaint and interesting knick-knacks. For more information, visit www.whatsonwhen.com.

Getting to the city

By car: Explore the city and the countryside in comfort and style at greatprices! Get the best deal by checking Flybe's partner Avis for the best available car hire rates at www.flybe.com/avis

By road: Limoges-Bellegarde airport is about 10km (6.4 miles) northwest from the city centre. Take the N141 to the ring road and follow signs to Limoges centre. Contact Flybe’s car rental partner Avis for the best available car hire rates.

By bus: No bus links.

By taxi: Taxis congregate outside the main terminal, expect to pay around €17.

Getting around

The local bus service, TCL (+33 (0) 5 55 32 46 46) operates around the city. The information office is at 10 place Léon Betoulle opposite the town hall. Tickets cost €1 (70p) and a carnet of 10, €8.50. Taxi Limoges, tel: +33 (0) 5 55 37 81 81, operates 24 hours. Trains run from Gare des Bénédictins, tel:+33 (0) 5 55 11 11 88, at place Maison-Dieu.

Accommodation

There are some very nice places to stay in the heart of the city, particularly on the quietest corner of place Jourdan and on avenue de Gaulle. If you’re with a group, or on a stag or hen trip, and don’t want to blow the budget, there are a couple of well-priced hotels near the train station. But there are some really luxurious, exclusive alternatives and, a little further out, some tantalizing châteaux along the tourist route with gourmet restaurants attached.

The two-star Le Marceau Hotel is available in Limoges with a room rate including continental breakfast. Call +44 (0) 871 900 8297 or visit www.flybehotels.com

Eating out

The Limousin is the embodiment of the traditional French farmers’ markets, so daily produce is freely available. Look out for ewe’s and goats cheese, home-made charcuterie, jams and preserves. The region is also famed for its upland apple orchards, so search for ciders and any jars labelled Pomme du Limousin.

Meals are hearty and excellently cooked, menu dishes include home-made foie gras and roast calves’ sweetbreads with acacia honey or tagine of pigeon with dates and there’s no shortage of delicious fruit-infused desserts. The town is filled with good and inexpensive places to eat, not least at Les Halles indoor market, where you can jostle with the locals at huge, round tables for a convivial lunch.

Nightlife

There is a clutch of popular bars and clubs in the town centre, but it’s the brasseries and bars that are the main social hangouts after dark. For beer-lovers Brasserie St Martial is the only place to be seen, with its seven varieties on-tap and brewed on site.

The Théâtre Municipal, rue Jean Jaurés offers ballet, opera and variety shows. For contemporary and classical drama, head to L’Union, 20 rue des Coopéurateurs and L’Expression 7, 20 rue de la Réforme.

Around the city

A number of pretty villages are within easy reach just west of Limoges, handily marked out in the Route Richard-Coeur-de-Lion leaflet available from the Tourist Office. It takes in the châteaux of Rochechouart, Châlus and Nexon as well as the Roman baths at Chassenon and Solignac’s abbey.

In sharp contrast, the atrocities committed by the Nazis are kept painfully alive at Oradour-sur-Glane, perhaps the most poignant reminder to the French of the German atrocities of the Second World War. In June 1944, just a few days after D-Day, the Nazis massacred 642 villagers, 205 of whom were children, the burnt-out ruins, cemetery and war museum make a heart-rending but compelling visit. Equival runs a daily bus from Limoges to the museum, from place Winston Churchill.

To get some relief, head north to the Monts de Blond, impressive granite peaks, interspersed with Scottish-looking black lakes and thick forests. Two lovely villages lie on the northern side of the Monts de Blond. Montrol-Sénart offers sweeping views and rustic art in a Romanesque church, Mortemart features two monasteries and a châteaux.

The facts you need

Climate: The weather is temperate and relatively mild with rainfall distributed throughout the year. Summers can be very hot and sunny.

Currency: The Euro. €1 = 68p or £1= €1.47 (September 2006).

Dialling code: For Limoges, dial +33 555.

Information: Limoges Office de Tourisme, 12 Boulevard de Fleurus, Limoges. Tel: +33 555 344 687, email: info@tourismelimoges.com or visit www.tourismelimoges.com.

Public Holidays 2007 January 1, April 6, 9, May 1, 8, 17, July 14, August 15, November 1, 11, December 25, 26.

Time difference: Limoges is one hour ahead of the UK.

A perfect day

It would be a mistake to visit Limoges without a look at its luxury china. Probably the best of the city’s museums is the Musée Municipal de l’Evêché, in the old bishop’s palace next to the cathedral. Have a look at the impressive enamelled art dating back to the 12th century, but also the canvasses of one of the town’s most famous sons, Auguste Renoir who started off life as a porcelain painter. In an outbuilding there’s a free exhibition of the wartime Resistance.
Next to the museum is the wonderful Cathédrale St-Etienne, with its Flambouyant architecture, Gothic interior, pinnacles, naves, towers, vaults and stained glass windows, it has a 600-year jumble of ecclesiastical styles. Outside, have a rest in the well laid-out botanical garden, which slopes gracefully down to the River Vienne. From here you can enter the tunnels that snake under the ‘upper’ city. It was into these subterranean passages that the Roman aqueducts ran, supplying Limoges with water.

Then head west of the cathedral to the renovated old quarter of town and stop for a hearty lunch at any one of the good restaurants on rue de la Boucherie. One of the former shophouses is the Maison de la Boucherie, a fascinating little museum serving up a slice of life as a butcher. The whole area is enchanting and steeped in history; butchers continued to cut up and sell meat here right up to the French Revolution. The half-timbered houses, small museums and boutiques make it delightful for an afternoon’s stroll.

Stop off at Les Halles, the covered market, to stock up the larder at home on ewe’s and goats’ cheeses, cider and delicious jams and preserves.

Flybe services

Limoges is served by regular flights from Southampton. (www.flybe.com)

An insider’s perspective

The Limousin is one huge, bountiful garden and, for some reason, is big on labels. Some 3,600 hectares of apple orchards produce 110,000 tonnes of the fruit, much of which is converted into cider. Hand-picked apples are honoured with the Pomme du Limousin label. Visit www.pomme-limousin.org.

Equally important are walnuts, their orchards span from the Corrèze to the Dordogne and the Charente. Walnut growers and producers will proudly explain the benefits of the nut on a dedicated Walnut Route tour organised by the tourist office.

Look out for the Bienvenue à la ferme label, given to some 150 farms in the Limousin who welcome holidaymakers, giving a guarantee of quality produce. If you’d like tea after a tour of the working farm, search for the goûters à ferme sign, but you’ll need to book ahead from the tourist office.

There’s also a label for the authenticity of the Limousin farmer’s markets, Marchés des Producteurs de Pays. Fattened fowl, cheeses, fruit, jams, fish, vegetables, ready-made dishes and a variety of crafts are all on offer, the label guarantees all produce is straight from the farm or workshop.

Shopping

If you want to invest in porcelain, shops line the boulevard Louis-Blanc, including the Morel Michel boutique which stocks end-of-line samples and other bargains. Place des Jacobins and rue de la Boucherie are also good bets for discounts. For serious buyers, 12-set dinner services and the like, head 10 minutes out of town on the road to Toulouse, for knock-down prices at factory outlets.

But perhaps the most delightful shopping is at the markets and gourmet festivals, look out for cheese and wine fairs, a strawberry market, cider fair, chestnut festival, apple fête and, of course, the Christmas markets. Details on all events from the Limoges Tourist Office.

Commercial

Porcelain has long been overtaken by other sectors as Limoges’ main industry. The French electronics giant Legrand is now the town’s main employer, followed by Renault Trucks. In addition to electronic firms, Limoges has a large shoe manufacturing plant, one of France’s major universities and is, of course, famed for its farms. Beef, apple, walnuts, honey, chèvre and mushrooms are all produced in vast quantities. The Chamber of Commerce offers help if you’re looking for business expansion, tel: +33 (0) 5 55 45 1515 or visit www.limoges.cci.fr.

Because of its landlocked position, the Limousin has been somewhat overlooked by tourists. As a result, it is one of the most peaceful, untouched regions in the country. Tiny villages nestle among lush valleys and dense oak woods, the scenery is dotted with fairytale châteaux and reminders of medieval times in the towns of Bourges and Limoges with their half-timbered houses and cobbled streets.

The recent increase in flights, thanks to Flybe, has caused property prices to shoot up 30 per cent in the past two years. It’s now about the hottest region in France If you’re thinking of investing, now’s the time to grab a slice of bargain French property, it’s still half the price of neighbouring Dordogne. Thirty minutes’ drive east of Limoges, a four-bed 17th century farmhouse with two outbuildings, three acres of land and a stream, was recently on the market for £63,000. After £100,000-worth of renovation, the property is estimated to fetch £400,000. A three-storey town house in Bealieu sur Dordogne, reckoned to be one of France’s most beautiful villages, was for sale for £10,000. A two-bed cottage in a village near Limoges is currently on the market for £28,000. Contact www.findaproperty.com if you’re tempted.

What’s new?

If you’re green-fingered or simply enjoy strolling around beautiful lawns, the L’Evêché gardens beside the cathedral, is being transformed into a spectacular Creole garden for this summer. Brilliant Caribbean blooms, shrubs and trees in a riot of colour were on display until the end of October. Entry was free, the garden was open from 9am-9pm.

As part of France’s Year of Brazil celebrations, a collection of Brazilian ceramic figures were on show at Bernardaud, loaned from the Museum Casa do Pontal in Brazil last autumn. Called Terra Terre visitors could admire the figurines everyday from 9.30am to 5pm, entrance €2.Contact the tourist office for details on both events.