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    Captivating Limoges
    Captivating Limoges
    Captivating Limoges
    Ebook152 pages1 hour

    Captivating Limoges

    By Kim Layton

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    About this ebook

    Limoges is a lovely city in central France that you have probably never even heard of. Or if you have heard of it, it is probably because of its fine china, porcelain and other fire arts that are world famous.
    Mostly though, it has been bypassed and it can still be enjoyed without masses of tourists crowding the streets. And there is so much more to Limoges than just porcelain.
    This elegant capital city of the ancient Limousin region can trace its history back over 2,000 years. Whilst remaining proud of its heritage, Limoges is now a bustling modern city with many attractions for today's visitors. It is small and compact, so most of it is accessible on foot.

    Captivating Limoges is a discovery guide book that includes:
    - A brief history of the city's dramatic and often turbulent past
    - Two in-depth tours with detailed maps so that you can choose your own itinerary without missing any of the sights
    - A riverside walk in the city
    - Transport options for getting around
    - Details of all the major events and exhibition venues
    - Opening times and information about the many attractions
    - Days out around Limoges
    - Activities for all ages and all sorts of interests
    - Entertainment and nightlife
    - Discounts: all your options for reduced and free tickets, meals and accommodation
    - Eating out: the best restaurants, atmospheric dining squares and streets
    - Hotels, guest houses, rentals and campsites
    - Getting here by ferry, plane, train and bus

    Limoges is one of the hundreds of delightful cities, towns and villages that are often overlooked in the dash to visit Paris, the French Riviera, Provence or one of the other handful of destinations that attract the majority of tourists. Yet, it is the small cities that are consistently voted for by the French as the best places to live, based on their cultural offerings, the attractiveness of the environment and the wide choice of activities. And the most attractive places to live in France are often the most enchanting places to visit.

    Are you an untouristy traveller? Someone who loves discovering wonderful new places away from the usual tourist trails? If you are nodding your head, then the captivating city of Limoges is for you.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKim Layton
    Release dateFeb 6, 2019
    ISBN9780463950760
    Captivating Limoges
    Author

    Kim Layton

    Kim has lived in France for many years. She lives in Limousin, one of the most rural and unpopulated regions, now part of Nouvelle Aquitaine. Hearing all the time that France is the most visited country in the world, she wondered why, at the height of summer, the towns and beaches around her were not invaded by tourists. After all, it is a beautiful region, with a captivating capital city, medieval towns and villages in every direction and wonderful forests and lakes. After some research, she discovered that although millions visit Paris, the Alps, Provence and a few other tourist favourites, there are vast swathes of France that most people just pass by on their way to one of these better-known places. Better-known, but not necessarily better. So the idea of writing about the regions of France that are not as well known was born. French culture, their joie de vivre, watching the world go by from a cafe terrace against a backdrop of beautiful countryside - all of these and more can be enjoyed without the tourist hordes. Kim calls her readers 'untouristy travellers', people who want to go beyond the usual tourist destinations and to go home knowing that they have learnt a little bit more about the world and how others live.

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      Book preview

      Captivating Limoges - Kim Layton

      France Byways

      For the untouristy traveller

      Captivating Limoges

      Copyright 2019 Kim Layton

      We do our best to ensure that all of the information provided is correct at the time of printing. However, it may change at any time without our knowledge. Please confirm all details prior to making bookings or visiting attractions. No representations or warranties are made with respect to the information or graphics in this book, all of which are provided on a strictly as is basis, without express or implied warranty of any kind.

      Table of Contents

      Captivating Limoges

      The Growth of a Great City

      The Château District

      Jesuit Chapel to St Pierre Church

      From bourgeoisie to butchers

      The Butchers' Quarter

      The heart of the ancient district

      The most beautiful train station and the liqueur store

      Limoges Cité - Full of Old World Charm

      At the heart of the Cité

      Picturesque streets

      The Field Marshal and the Resistance

      Around the Bridges - Riverside Walk

      Saint Etienne to Saint Martial

      The port, the park and Royal porcelain

      Getting around

      Tourist train

      Tuk-Tuk

      Local buses

      Bike hire

      Taxis

      Local trains

      Car hire

      What's Happening

      Regular Events

      Major Events

      Attractions

      Local history and folk museums

      Fine Arts and Crafts

      Limoges porcelain

      Family outings

      The Arts and Local History Exhibitions

      Activities

      Young children

      Family and friends fun

      Escape games

      Guided canoeing

      Sports

      Parks, lakes and woodland

      Cookery workshops

      Wine tasting

      Well-being

      Entertainment and Nightlife

      Cinemas

      Music and variety halls

      Concerts, theatre and social events

      Performing arts theatres

      Cabaret

      Nightclubs

      Discounts

      Eating out

      Fine dining

      French cuisine

      Popular

      Italian

      Chinese

      Asian

      Japanese

      Dining choices

      Accommodation

      Hotels

      Guesthouses

      Rentals

      Campsites

      Getting to Limoges

      Ferries

      Flights

      Trains

      Buses

      Fellow untouristy travellers

      Captivating Limoges

      Limoges is the 36th largest city in France and yet many people, including the French themselves, do not know where it is. They may have heard of the world famous Limoges porcelain and there is no doubt that the city's reputation for Fine Arts attracts lots of visitors. But for the most part, it is overlooked by people passing by on the motorway as they travel from the north to the south of France and back again.

      So it often comes as a surprise when you discover that this elegant capital city of Limousin is an increasingly popular destination for a city break. And for those already in the know, Limoges has an awful lot going for it.

      For the last two years, Limoges has been in the top 3 in an annual survey to find the best places to live in France run by the Express magazine.

      Overlooking the Vienne river, the city has a long history dating back to before the Roman occupation. It remains proud of its heritage and in 2008 it was recognised as a Ville et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire, a Town and Region of the Arts and History.

      Whilst evidence of the past is all around you, Limoges is now a bustling, modern, student city with many attractions to discover. It is truly one of France's secret cities that captivates and delights today's visitors.

      Bienvenue à Limoges...

      The Growth of a Great City

      Stroll around Limoges, and you will see many vestiges of its historic and often turbulent past. From impressive buildings such as the cathedral, the churches and the Mairie to the modest workers' homes in the narrow streets of the Cité and the beautiful residences of the bourgeoisie, they all have a story to tell.

      The following timeline gives some background to many of these places and the people who played their part in their histories.

      Because of its central location, a settlement had been growing along the riverbanks since ancient times. Then, around 10BC, the Roman Emperor Augustus arrived in the region. At the time, the settlement that would become the city of Limoges was a staging and trading post, but he considered it important enough to give it his name, Augustoritum. As it grew, an amphitheatre, a theatre and a forum were built. It even had its own currency and Senate to manage its affairs.

      Saint Martial arrived around 250AD, heralding the start of the town's religious influence. In the second century, building began on Saint Martial Abbey. It was destroyed in the late 1700s, but during works to construct an underground car park in the 1960s, the original crypt and Saint Martial’s tomb were discovered. An ongoing archaeological dig is revealing a lot more of the abbey’s foundations, now covering a large corner of the Place de la République.

      During the 1100s, more people moved into the growing town around its fortified castle. Built on a hill overlooking the town and the surrounding countryside, the castle was protected by a large moat. The Place de la Motte is now a large square with restaurants, shops and the Halles Centrales, the indoor market hall.

      By the 13th century, the town had become a flourishing and well known cultural centre. St Martial Abbey and the burgeoning town attracted many educated clerics and monks who contributed to the spread of its artistic influence.

      In 1273 the foundations of St Etienne cathedral were laid on the hill overlooking the river.It would take another 615 years before it was finally completed in 1888.

      By the 1300s, two distinct settlements were established. One district was on the riverside up to the Puy St Etienne and around the cathedral, overseen by the Bishops of Limoges. The narrow, steep streets leading down to the river were occupied by the workers. The other district was around St Martial Abbey and the castle where the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie lived.

      Religious and political differences between the clergy on the hill in St Etienne cathedral and the Viscount in his moated castle just up the road split the city in two for the next 500 years.

      In 1370, during the Hundred Years War waged between England and France, there was a massacre during the occupation of the city by Edward, the Black Prince. Limoges had been under English control until August when the town surrendered to the Duke of Berry. Edward was determined to reclaim it

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