Limoges Overview

For centuries, Limoges (lee-mohjhs; pop. 137,500) has manufactured delicate porcelain and enamel for the French upper class. Filled with small, artisan boutiques and museums housing world-famous ceramics, Limoges remains a porcelain mecca to this day. Resting on the right bank of the Vienne River, Limoges’s natural scenery rivals the beauty of its earthenware. While parts of Limoges possess a romantic elegance marked by wide boulevards and vast green parks, the rest of the city has a modern, urban sensibility.

Trains: Gare des Bénédictins, 7 pl. Maison-Dieu (☎08 92 68 82 66 or 05 55 45 10 72), off av. du Général de Gaulle. Restored to its 1920s Art Deco splendor, this is one of Limoges’s most beautiful buildings. Info booth open M-F 4:30am-10:30pm, Sa 4:30am-10pm. Ticket office open daily 5:15am-9:45pm. SNCF, rue Othon Péconnet, near pl. de la Motte. Open M-Sa 9am-7pm. To: Bordeaux (3hr., 5 per day, €28); Brive-la-Gaillarde (1hr., 12 per day, €17); Lyon (6hr., 1 per day, €44); Paris (3hr., 13 per day, €48); Poitiers (2hr., 3 per day, €19); Toulouse (4hr., 6 per day, €38).
Buses: Equival, 14 rue de l’Amphithéâtre (☎05 55 10 10 03; www.equival87.fr). Tickets available at the office, at the SNCF station, or on buses. Most buses stop at the train station. Office open M-F 9am-6pm.
Public Transportation: TCL, 10 pl. Léon Betoulle (☎05 55 32 46 46). Open M 1:30-6pm, Tu-F 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-6pm, Sa 8:30am-12:30pm. Buy individual tickets (€1.05) on board and carnets of 10 (€9.10) at the station.
Taxis: Taxi AALT Limoges, 16 rue Alfred de Vigny (☎05 55 38 38 38) and Taxi Vert Limoges, 197 av. du Général Leclerc (☎05 55 37 81 81). Wait by the station. 24hr.
Car Rental: Avis (☎05 55 79 78 25; www.avis.com), in the train station. Open M-F 9:45am-noon and 4-6pm, Sa 9:45am-noon. Europcar (☎05 55 77 64 52), in the train station. Open M-F 10am-1:30pm and 4-6pm, Sa 9:30am-noon and 2-5:30pm.

Orientation And Practical Information

Medieval fortresses originally separated Limoges into two villages: la Cité and le Château. Today, divided by only one city block, the two villages have become the main commercial and tourist sectors of the city. Cobblestone-paved la Cité surrounds the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne and runs along the Vienne River, holding the municipal museum and gardens, while le Château contains restaurants, clothing boutiques, and porcelain shops.

Tourist Office: 12 bd. de Fleurus (☎05 55 34 46 87; www.tourismelimoges.com), near pl. Wilson. From the train station, walk down av. du Général de Gaulle. Cut across pl. Jourdan onto bd. de Fleurus. English-speaking staff offers free maps, English brochures, and a free guide in French that lists restaurants and accommodations. Currency exchange available at steep rates. Open from M-Sa April-Sept. 9am-7pm; Oct-Mar. 9:30am-6pm.
Tours: Offered several times per month; contact the tourist office for a schedule and prices. 1hr. petit train tours daily July-Aug. 11:30am, 2:30, 4, 5:30, 9:30pm; Sept. 1-14 and June 9-30 3, 4:30pm. Special holiday tours. €5, ages 3-12 €3.50.
Library: Bibliothèque Francophone Multimédia de Limoges, 2 rue Louis Longequeue (☎05 55 45 96 00; www.bm-limoges.fr), next to the Hôtel de Ville. Free Wi-Fi. Often long lines. Must sign up for free library membership. Internet available W 10am-7pm, Sa 10am-6pm; 1hr. limit.
Laundromats: 31 rue François Chenieux. Wash €3.80 per 7kg. Open daily 7am-9pm. Branch at 14 rue des Charseix. Open daily 8am-9pm.
Police: 84 av. Émile Labussière (☎05 55 14 30 00).
Crisis Lines: SOS Médecin (☎05 55 33 20 00). Poison Control (☎05 55 96 40 80).
Hospital: 2 av. Martin Luther King (☎05 55 05 55 55).
Internet Access: Free at the library (above). Tendanceweb.com, 5 bd. Victor Hugo (☎05 55 10 93 61; www.tendanceweb.com). €2 per 30min., €3 per hr., €7 per 2hr. Open M-Th 10am-4am, F-Sa 10am-6am, Su 2pm-4am. Pointcyber, 7 av. du Général de Gaulle (☎05 55 79 03 28; www.pointcyber.com), near the train station and Hôtel de Paris. €2.80 per hr. Open M-Sa 9:30am-midnight, Su 2pm-midnight. L’Interval, rue du Maréchal Juin (☎05 55 01 23 90; www.interval-cafe.com). Free Internet access and bar service. Open Tu and W-F 9am-noon and 2-7pm, Sa 2-7pm.
Post Office: 39 bis av. Garibaldi (☎05 55 79 81 00), part of the St-Martial shopping complex. Currency exchange available. Open M 2-7pm, Tu-F 10am-7pm, Sa 10:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-6pm. Postal Code: 87000.

Accommodations And Camping

Hôtel de Paris, 5 cours Vergniaud (☎05 55 77 56 96; www.hotelparis87.com). From the train station, walk up av. du Général de Gaulle and turn right onto cours Bugeaud, then right onto cours Vergniaud. A winding wood staircase, Victorian wallpaper, and rooms with double doors, tall windows, and clean bathrooms emphasize that you’re getting more bang for your buck. All rooms with TVs and telephones. Breakfast €6. Wi-Fi. Reception 7am-10pm. Singles, doubles, and triples €30-62. AmEx/MC/V.
Foyer Accueil 2000, 20 rue Encombe Vineuse (☎05 55 77 63 97; fjt.accueil-2000@wanadoo.fr). From the train station, head to the right on Champ du Juillet, onto cours Gay Lussac. Turn right onto av. Garibaldi, then left onto rue Aigueperse. Make a right on rue Chénieux and a quick left on rue Encombe Vineuse. The hostel is on the right; look for the Foyer des Jeunes Travailleuses sign. Clean and relatively spacious dorm-like singles and doubles with sinks; some with small refrigerators. Showers and toilets on each floor hall. Communal kitchen, TV room, and elevator. Breakfast included. Reception 24hr. Singles €18; doubles €22. Cash only.
Hôtel de la Paix, 25 pl. Jourdan (☎05 55 34 36 00; fax 32 37 06), on the far side of pl. Jourdan, near the tourist office. Central location overlooking a park. Clean, carpeted rooms with large windows and TV. Breakfast €7. Wi-Fi. Reception 24hr. English- and German-speaking staff. Singles and doubles €41-69. AmEx/MC/V.
Hôtel Relais Lamartine, 10 rue des Coopérateurs (☎05 55 77 53 39; fax 79 46 92), next to Théâtre de l’Union. Walk away from the train station onto av. du Général de Gaulle. At the roundabout, bear right onto cours Bugeaud. Take a right on av. Garibaldi and a quick left on av. de la Libération. Continue to pl. Denis Dussoubs and turn right on rue François Chinieux and left on rue des Coopérateurs (20min.). Crimson, wood-trimmed lobby. Bright breakfast area. Breakfast €4. Reception 24hr. Singles €20, with shower €22, with toilet €26; doubles €27-35. Extra bed €7. Cash only.
Camping D’Uzurat, 40 av. d’Uzurat (☎05 55 38 49 43; www.campinglimoges.fr), 5km north of Limoges. From the train station, take bus #20 (dir.: Beaubreuil; M-Sa 6am-8:30pm) to L’Armand. Walk 50m to the intersection at av. d’Uzurat and turn left; follow signs to campground. Park surrounding Lake Uzurat. Access to tennis courts and trails. Wheelchair-accessible. Reception 8:15am-12:30pm and 2:30-8:10pm. Gates closed 10pm-7:30am. July-Aug. €3.50 per person, ages 3-14 €1.50; sites €7. Sept.-Oct. and Mar.-June €3 per person, ages 2-14 €1; site €5. Electricity €3. MC/V.

Food

The stalls of the central Halles indoor market, facing pl. de la Motte, overflow with fresh cheeses, produce, meat, fish, and baked goods. (Open daily 8am-1pm; fewer stalls open Su.) A larger market (Sa mornings) brightens place Marceau, near pl. Sadi Carnot. A Monoprix supermarket has entrances at 42 rue Jean Jaurès and 11 pl. de la République. (Open M-Sa 8:30am-8:30pm.) Charming restaurants on and around medieval rue de la Boucherie offer gourmet dining. For a cheaper meal, look to rue Haute-Cité, near the cathedral, for crêperies and brasseries. For an even greater variety of flavor, rue Charles Michels offers a bit of everything—from Chinese to Moroccan to Tex-Mex.

La Bibliothèque, 7 rue Turgot (☎05 55 11 00 47; fax 11 00 48). Restaurant by day and busy bar by night. Lives up to its name (“The Library”) with chic mahogany stools and shelves of leather-bound books, but 20-something patrons are more enticed by the constant stream of music videos flashing on big-screen TVs. Big, tasty pizzas and salads €5-19. Open M-Th 7am-1am, F-Sa 7am-2am. MC/V.
L’Étoile de L’Inde, 7 rue Haute-Cité (☎05 55 32 46 95). Serves tandoori specialties in an elegant French atmosphere with white tablecloths and flowers. Plats €6-16. Menu €16. Open Tu-Su noon-2pm and 7:30-11pm. MC/V.
Les Petits Ventres, 20 rue de la Boucherie (☎05 55 34 22 90; www.les-petits-ventres.fr). In a converted 15th-century home, with a touch of medieval charm and a peaceful outdoor terrace. Known throughout Limoges for its traditional cuisine. Plats €15-25. Menus €22-36. Open Tu-Sa noon-2pm and 7:30-10:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

Musée National Adrien Dubouché. Founded in the 19th century by a wealthy Cognac merchant, this paradise for porcelain connoisseurs houses one of the largest ceramics collections in Europe. Amazingly diverse, it features ceramic pieces from antiquity through the modern era—and from all over the globe—including ornate sculptures, playful figurines, and colorful plates. Particular emphasis is given to French porcelain, especially pieces from Limoges. A first-floor room walks visitors through the stages of ceramics production. The large Chinese plate with a D dragon in its center, dating from 1345, is one of the most valuable pieces of china in the world. (8 bis pl. Winston Churchill. ☎05 55 33 08 55; www.musee-adriendubouche.fr. Open M and W-Su July-Aug. 10am-5:40pm; Sept.-June 10am-12:25pm and 2-5:40pm. Free. Free English audio tours.)

Musée Municipal De L’Evêché. Also known as the Musée de l’Émail (Museum of Enamel), this 18th-century bishop’s palace contains the city’s collection of 12th-century enameled art. Its display of ceramics cannot compete with that of Dubouché, but its other art, including interesting Egyptian figurines and sarcophagi, make this museum worth a visit. (Pl. de la Cathédrale. ☎05 55 45 98 10. Open June-Sept. daily 10am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct.-May M and W-Su 10am-noon and 2-5pm. Free.)

Evêché Botanical Gardens. With a prime spot on a hillside overlooking Vienne and the cathedral, this floral oasis is perfect for a mid-morning stroll. Its themed gardens are perfectly manicured and color-coordinated, and a promenade along the outer walls of the gardens reveals panoramic views of the valley surrounding Limoges. (☎05 55 45 62 67. Open daily May-Sept. 8am-8:30pm; Oct. and Mar.-Apr. 8am-7pm; Nov.-Feb. 8am-5pm. Tours by appointment.)

Other Sights. The Cathédrale Saint-Étienne is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture south of the Loire; it was built on the site of a Roman temple and took over 600 years to complete. (Pl. St-Étienne in la Cité. Open daily 2:30-5pm.) For a slice of life as a butcher, visit the Maison Traditionelle de la Boucherie. (36 rue de la Boucherie. ☎05 55 34 46 87. Open July-Sept. daily 10am-1pm and 2:30-7pm. Tours in English and French. Free.) Across the street, the 15th-century Chapel Saint-Aurelien still lights candles to honor the patron saint of butchers. A short walk toward 71 bd. Gambetta reveals a plaque commemorating the birthplace of painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. While the majority of the city’s porcelain boutiques are found on rue Louis Blanc, Limoges’s famous ceramics also decorate several remarkable structures, including Les Halles, the nearby Pavilion de Verdurier, and the fountain in front of the Mairie. Manufacture Bernardaud offers factory tours for those who want to learn more about porcelain production. (27 av. Albert Thomas. ☎05 55 10 21 86. Tours June-Sept. daily 9am-7pm; Oct.-May by reservation. €4.)

Entertainment

On weekdays, the five Centres Culturels Municipaux host concerts, theater productions, and films. The Centre Culturel John Lennon, 41 rue de Feytiat (☎05 55 06 24 83), caters particularly to young people.

Grand Théâtre, 48 rue Jean Jaurès (☎05 55 45 95 00). Presents 60 ballet, orchestral, operatic, and choral productions each season from Sept. to early June. Box office open Sept.-June daily 10am-6pm. €5-35. MC/V.
Théâtre de l’Union, 20 rue des Coopérateurs (☎05 55 79 90 00; www.theatre-union.fr). Hosts performances from Oct.-May. Box office open Tu-Sa 1-7pm, Su 2-7pm.

Nightlife

At night, Limoges’s streets seem to empty out, though a handful of popular bars and clubs dot the streets. Many brasseries serve as social hangouts in the evening, but most nightlife centers on rue Charles Michels —known among locals as “la rue de la soif” (“the street of thirst”)—and cours Jourdan.

Cheyenne Café, 4 rue Charles Michels (☎05 55 32 32 62). Get a glimpse of France’s perception of the Wild West at this saloon-themed bar. 20-somethings enjoy hip-hop music. Beer €2-4. Open Tu-W 6pm-1am, Th and Sa 6pm-2am.
L’Irlandais, 2 rue Haute-Cité (☎05 55 32 46 47), near the cathedral. A laid-back atmosphere prevails on the terrace of this Irish-themed restaurant, which transforms into a popular bar at night. Live music in summer F-Sa nights. Pints €4.50-6. Open Tu-W 5pm-1am, Th-F 5pm-2am, Sa 3pm-2am, Su 3pm-1am. AmEx/MC/V over €15.
Round Midnight, 12 av. Gabriel Péri (☎05 55 33 73 58; round.midnight@aliceadsl.fr). Jazz fans (read: 30- and 40-somethings) flock to this small bar. Club boasts an intimate atmosphere, with comfy leather chairs surrounding a small stage. Piano bar 8pm. Concerts 9:30pm. Open Tu-W 7pm-1am, Th-Sa 7pm-2am.
Pub O’Brien Tavern, 6 cours Jourdan (☎05 55 10 96 96), close to the train station and Hôtel de Paris. One of Limoges’s most popular Irish pubs. Locals gather to watch football. Open M-W and Su 6:30pm-1am and Th-Sa 6:30pm-2am.

Festivals

Fête de St-Jean, at the end of June. Also known as the Fête des Ponts, this celebration brings dancing, musical performances, and fireworks shows to the city.
Festival Urb’Aka (☎05 55 32 08 42 or 45 63 85), the last 3 days in June. Heats up the summer with street performances, fireworks, and concerts.
Festival International des Théâtres Francophones (☎05 55 10 90 10; www.lesfrancophonies.com), at the end of Sept. Features thousands of Francophone performing artists from around the world.
Fête des Petits Ventres, 3rd F of Nov. Don’t let the name of the festival deceive you; this food celebration is large enough to satisfy even the hungriest glutton.

Daytrips From Limoges

Oradour-Sur-Glane

The tiny town of Oradour-sur-Glane—not to be confused with Haute-Vienne’s 2 other Oradours—contains 2 distinct sections: the new town and its obliterated predecessor. Equival runs a daily bus (#12) from Limoges (at the train station, pl. des Charentes, pl. des Carmes, or pl. Winston Churchill) to the Centre de la Mémoire (old town) Sept.-June and to both towns July-Aug. (30min., 4-6 per day, €3). Schedules at the Limoges tourist office and train station.

On June 10, 1944, in a heinous act of brutality, Nazi SS troops massacred all the residents of the farming village Oradour-sur-Glane (oh-rah-door suhr glahnn)—without warning or provocation—in their relentless quest to rid the countryside of resistors. The Nazis entered the town at 2pm and corralled the women and children into the church and the men into six barns. At 4pm, a shot was fired, ordering the troops to begin the massacre. The women and children in the church were burned alive; the men were shot, then burned as well. By 7pm, 642 people—including 205 children—had been slaughtered. Most of the SS troops involved in the attack were tried in 1953, found guilty, and immediately freed according to the French government’s general amnesty decree. Heinz Barth, commander of the unit, served part of a life sentence in a German jail until he was released due to ill health.

Today, the town remains in hauntingly untouched ruins. Houses with crumbling walls stand watch over the silently rotting remains. Telephone lines dangle eerily over deserted streets lined with rusted skeletons of 50-year-old cars. The village has been preserved so that no one will forget the atrocities that occurred in Oradour and elsewhere under the Nazi regime. Visitors can walk freely along the main thoroughfare and peer into remnants of homes; signs indicate the name and profession of many former residents. A small memorial between the cemetery and town displays bicycles, toys, and watches that were all stopped at the same moment by the heat of the fire. The incredible Centre de la Mémoire places the massacre and the Nazi regime in social and historical context with artifacts, timelines, and an informative 12min. film, all with English subtitles. (☎05 55 43 04 30. Museum and town open daily from mid-May to mid-Sept. 9am-7pm; from mid-Sept. to Oct. and from Mar. to mid-May 9am-6pm; from Nov. to mid-Dec. and Feb. 9am-5pm. Museum €7.50; students, veterans, and ages 10-18 €5.20; under 10 free.)