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 Périgeux. 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 itfs 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 Cité, 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 itfs 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 itfs 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 Museé Municipal de l'Eveché 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 craftsmenfs museum where some of Francefs 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 donft 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.
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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 chateaux 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
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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 Flybefs 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.
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The local bus service, TCL (+33 (0) 5 55 32 46 46) operates around the city. The information office is at 10 place León 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.
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If you're thinking of investing, nowfs the time to grab a slice of bargain French property, itfs 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 Francefs 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. www.findaproperty.com
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Porcelain has long been overtaken by other sectors as Limoges' main industry. The French electronics giant Legrand is now the townfs 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, chévre and mushrooms are all produced in vast quantities. The Chamber of Commerce offers help if youfre looking for business expansion, tel: +33 (0) 5 55 45 1515. 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 chaateaux 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.
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Musée National Adrien Dubouche: Whether youfre 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. 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).
www.musee-adriendubouche.fr
The Musée Municipal de l'Eveché: If that whetted your appetite, The Musée Municipal de l'Eveché, an 18th century bishopfs 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. Itfs next to the cathedral in la CiteL, 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: 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 Eveché Botanical Gardens are superb.
Maison Traditionelle de la Boucherie: Don't miss it at 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).
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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 chateaux of Rochechouart, Chalus 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 chateaux.
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There is a clutch of popular bars and clubs in the town centre, but itfs 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 Théatre 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 ReLforme.
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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'Eveché, 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 townfs most famous sons, Auguste Renoir who started off life as a porcelain painter. In an outbuilding therefs 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.
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