Limoges

Upper Town - La Boucherie

The historic core of Limoges formed in the Middle Ages, this part of the city now offers a varied urban landscape of half-timbered period houses, a timeless quarter nestling a stone’s throw from the covered market, where good restaurants, craft workshops and bohemian cafés are concentrated.

Limoges has a long tradition of butchery and it is in Rue de la Boucherie where butchers lived from the 12th to the 20th century: with its typical half-timbered houses, small squares and shop windows, it is as picturesque as you can find in the city.

Also not to be missed is Place Barreyrette, shady and discreet, where you can admire the countless half-timbered houses, scrutinise the carved stones and find picturesque corners. As you walk up the quarter, you will come across the fabulous Baltard-style Halles Centrales with 368 porcelain panels, where you can sample local delicacies.

Saint-Étienne Cathedral

Built in 1273, the Saint-Etienne Cathedral is a true Gothic jewel. Its stained glass windows, majestic organ and delicate sculptures are simply breathtaking.

This building, whose construction lasted six centuries, from the 13th to the 19th, dominates the Cité district with its superb Gothic appearance. Take a meditative pause in its majestic nave to admire the medieval paintings adorning the vaults and the Renaissance sculptures on the 16th-century pier.

The cathedral quarter called the City developed from the 4th century around the sanctuary
founded by Saint-Martial. A former religious quarter, it has become the tourist heart of the city. You will feel like you are taking a real trip back in time to the Middle Ages, before enjoying the natural environment of the banks of the Vienne.

Halles Centrales

In the heart of the city, in the pedestrian area on Place de la Motte, this building is one of the most beautiful covered markets in France.

Classified as a historical monument in 1976, this majestic building was inaugurated on 15 December 1889 to replace another wooden hall moved to Place Carnot. It was Eiffel’s disciples, the engineers Pesce and Lévesque who took on the task.

The structure, 50 metres long and 35 metres wide, is reminiscent of the Baltard pavilions in its use of metal, of course, but also in the Burgundian bricks and glass roofs typical of this period. But what makes the building so unique is its porcelain frieze composed of 368 tiles representing the animals and fruits sold inside.

The Halles has become a meeting point for the city’s inhabitants, not only for shopping but as a place to meet with friends and taste local specialities at the corner of a counter: potato pâté, stuffed gallettona, chestnut fondant or variegated doughnut.

Every second Friday of the month, performances, temporary exhibitions, event evenings and live music take place here.

Limoges-Bénédictins Station

It is undoubtedly the city’s emblematic building and the Limougeaud are proud of it: regularly mentioned in rankings of the most beautiful stations in France, it is also the setting for films and advertisements.

Built between 1924 and 1929, Limoges station has a striking monumental aesthetic, combining art nouveau, art deco and neoclassicism: it was designed by architect Roger Gonthier to replace the first station opened in 1860, which had become too cramped. The architect used reinforced concrete and chose to raise the height of the building.

The decoration covering the structure is sculpted in limestone inside and out by the sculptor Henri Frédéric Varennes, including two imposing statues symbolising porcelain and enamel, a reminder of the city’s role as the capital of the arts of fire.

Large stained-glass windows, signed by master glassmaker Francis Chigot, depict the foliage and fruits of the chestnut tree, the emblematic tree of Limousin, and flood the vast space beneath the dome with natural light: 31 metres high and topped by a copper dome, it is flanked by a 61-metre-high bell tower, flanked by four large clocks visible from all over the city.

Musée national Adrien Dubouché

It is impossible to visit Limoges without admiring the porcelain for which it is famous. Located in the heart of the city centre, the National Museum Adrien Dubouché presents the history of ceramics since antiquity through no less than 5,000 pieces on display.

Associated with the National Museum of Ceramics and the National Manufacture of Sèvres since 2012, thus forming ‘La Cité de la Céramique – Sèvres et Limoges’, it works to promote exceptional know-how throughout the world and regularly increases its permanent collection of temporary exhibitions.

The museum boasts the largest collection in the world, with an inventory of 18,000 works. The educational tour begins with a presentation of the different stages of porcelain production and traces the history of ceramics since antiquity. The building also houses the original library for students of the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs de Limoges, as well as a documentation centre and a temporary exhibition space with various activities.

Underground Limoges

The medieval city of Limoges is rich in underground passages that wind their way beneath its cobbled streets. This hidden heritage is only partially open to the public. A guided tour takes you to the basement of the Abbaye de la Règle, where vaulted cellars testify to the skill of medieval builders.

Below Place de la République, a crypt built in the 9th century over the tomb of the evangeliser Saint-Martial was brought to light in 1962 during excavations for the construction of a car park. Disappeared under Napoleon I, the Saint-Martial crypt is now part of the historical visits of Limoges and offers another insight into the life of the monks of the abbey.

Musée du Four des Casseaux

To discover the secrets of porcelain firing, head to the Musée des Casseaux, a few minutes’ walk from the station.

Classified as a Historical Monument, the industrial complex built at the beginning of the 20th century houses one of the last surviving kilns in the region: a circular kiln known as a ‘reverse flame’ kiln that used to ensure the first, then the second firing of porcelain. It could fire up to 15,000 pieces simultaneously, each one lasting about 40 hours without counting the firing, heating and cooling.

The museum opens its doors all year round for self-guided or guided tours and organises temporary exhibitions on Limougeaud craft several times a year.

Pont Saint-Étienne

The Saint-Etienne bridge is now entirely pedestrianised. The Saint-Etienne and Saint-Martial bridges have looked out over the Vienne for more than eight centuries.

One was built in the early 13th century, the other rebuilt at the same time on Roman foundations, and both have been listed in the French inventory of historical monuments since the dawn of the 19th century.

Victor Thuillat Park

The Victor-Thuillat Park is a true green lung where a navigable river meanders.

Covering three and a half hectares of greenery, it is an oasis of peace with 750 species of perennials and beautiful trees. Children will find a dedicated play area and you can also play boules.

Jardin de l'Evêch

Take a relaxing stroll through the flower-filled avenues of the Evêché garden, overlooking the Vienne.

Created in 1956, it has been gradually expanded to now contain more than 3,000 plants, presented to visitors from three different points of view: historical, practical (medicinal, aromatic, colouring plants) and ecological. The park is accessible free of charge all year round from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.