Limoges (www.ville-limoges.fr)

An energetic and charming city, Limoges provides all the shopping, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, heritage and cultural attractions to be expected of the historical regional capital of Limousin.

Of particular interest are the numerous shops, workshops, factories and museums specialising in enamel work and fine Limoges porcelain, including the world famous Royal Limoges (www.royal-limoges.fr), Raynaud (www.raynaud.fr), Bernardaud (www.bernardaud.fr), Haviland (www.haviland-limoges.com), Medard de Noblat (www.medarddenoblat.com) and Maison de la Porcelaine (www.maisonporcelaine.com).

There is a wide range of museums and galleries including:-

• Le Musée Municipal de l’Evêché
• Le Musée de la Résistance
• Le Musée des Compagnons
• Le Musée National de la Porcelaine Adrien-Dubouché
• La Galerie Circulation Res Rei
• Le FRAC (Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain)
• La Maison de la Boucherie
• Le Musée des Distilleries

Other interesting and historical attractions include:-

• La Cathédrale Saint-Etienne
• L’Eglise Saint-Michel-des-Lions
• La Chapelle Saint-Aurélien
• Les Jardins de l’Evêché

For those requiring a broad overview of the delights of Limoges, Le Petit Train runs from Limoges Tourist Office between May and October and provides an excellent introduction (with multilingual commentaries) to the historical quarters of the city during a one hour tour.

Saint Léonard de Noblat (www.ville-saint-leonard.fr)

Saint Léonard de Noblat is a fine medieval city and its church is a jewel of Romanesque art. It is another important centre of porcelain production. A worthwhile visit is HistoRail, the Limousin Railway Museum which also features a miniature railway.

Aubusson (www.ville-aubusson.fr)

Aubusson is world famous for its exquisite tapestries, with its weaving still flourishing today. A greater understanding of this fascinating industry may be obtained from visiting the Musée Départmental de la Tapisserie and La Maison du Vieux Tapissier, which has Weavers’ workshops and demonstrations of tapestry making.

Oradour Sur Glane (www.oradour.org)

Some 20 km north-west of Limoges, the charred ruins of Oradour sur Glane serve as a monument of man’s inhumanity to man. This is a tribute to the events of 10 June 1944 when a detachment of German SS troops destroyed this innocent Limousin village, massacring 642 men, women and children in one of the most cruel acts of the Second Word War.

Saint Junien (www.mairie-saint-junien.fr)

A charming town and a centre for the production of leather goods. A vast range of quality leather products may be purchased direct from the workshops.