Limoges is so Much More than Porcelain
Limoges is known for its lovely porcelain but it also has an amazing old town with half-timbered buildings and cobbled streets that made us feel as though we had stepped back in time.
Our first day and a half we did a lot of exploring, taking in the beautiful old buildings and cobbled streets and visiting a porcelain factory. It’s hilly and walking on cobblestones can, at times, be difficult. Because we had four days here, we wanted to scope out where everything was and then decide what our focus would be. However, the cobblestones and my foot met with disaster and I spent the next day with an ice pack in the hotel.
There is so much here we didn’t get to see because getting around with a cane on an injured foot slowed me down considerably. We loved Limoges and will definitely come back!
Limoges ‘ Spectacular Gare Bénédictins
We arrived by train and the station here in Limoges is a spectacle in itself. Designated as an historic monument and built over the ten rail tracks instead of beside them, this train station presents great photographic opportunities.
Gare Limoges-Bénédictins
The waiting room window floods the building with light.
Observe how the window in the cupola mirrors the window at ground level that is in the first photo.
The clock tower at Gare Bénédictins is almost 197 feet tall (60 meters) and the four clocks on each side are 4 meters wide.
Limoges’ Gare Bénédictins
I thought the train station was an architectural marvel in daylight, but seeing it at night was breathtaking.
Gare de Limoges Bénédictins at night viewed from Jardin du Champ de Juillet
Our Visit to a Limoges Porcelain Factory – Bernardaud
From our hotel near the station, we walked for about 30 minutes to reach the Bernardaud Porcelain factory. This was a great way to discover Limoges plus, as we arrived by train, we did not plan to pick up or rental car for another few days.
Jardin d’Orsay was one of our stops on the way to the factory. I love the beautiful staircase entrance. As I look back at this staircase now, I am truly grateful we saw this before I turned my foot.
Jardin d’Orsay
The porcelain maker Bernardaud creates everything from china dishes to decorative vases and sculptures. Their china is amazing and can be purchased world wide. Our visit of the museum began with an explanation of how the porcelain is made and ended with a exhibition of not only porcelain dishes but also porcelain sculptures.
The museum is actually the former factory so these would’ve been dishes waiting to be fired in the kiln.
The tour guide at Bernardaud demonstrated how the china is made. Each piece is formed in a mold to provide uniformity for the whole set.
Our guide demonstrated the process of pouring the liquid clay into the molds to make the porcelain.
The Final Product
One fascinating fact the guide presented was that only 25% of all pieces produced actually make it to the showroom floor. That definitely explains the high cost of porcelain from Limoges. Only the perfect pieces make the cut. Even in the seconds outlet (on site), the pieces appeared to us to be perfect.
Bernardaud has made china for many famous people!
The exhibit at the end of the tour had a variety of sculptures but this one really captivated me.
The detail defies description.
Another amazing sculpture is this highly detailed flower arrangement. Yes, it is definitely crumbling. The artist does not fire her piece to harden them. The reasoning is that in real life, flowers are not permanent, they wither and die. When her pieces are on display, she encourages viewers to touch the sculpture which in turn causes it to die a little bit. Ultimately the sculpture is destroyed. Wow – I had a hard time accepting that all the hard work invested in this piece had no permanance.
Bisque (unfired) sculpture
There is a seconds outlet on site here. If these seconds have flaws, we certainly found them difficult to spot. This likely explains why the prices appeared rather steep for our budget. However, these seconds represent a considerable savings to buying Bernardaud here in the US.
Walking Through Quartier de la Boucherie – Old Town Limoges
I loved all the shops that appeared to have been here as long as the buildings. And what’s not to love about a bookstore! Look here for postcards, journals, books and magazines (in French, of course!), pens, etc.
A libraire in French is a bookstore. If you actually want a library, search for a bibliotheque.
Cobblestone streets and hills are standard here in the “old quarter” of Limoges. I was super glad we explored this area (though not as extensively as I wanted) before I injured my foot. Hobbling around with a cane proved difficult and slow, especially on cobblestones!
Left to right: Glass artisan Feu et Flamme, St-Aurélien Chapel, Le Duc Etienne (a pub)
Cour du Temple – Old Town Limoges
According to the Michelin Guide, the buildings here in Cour du Temple date from the 16th century. It felt magical when we stepped inside this courtyard, as if we had stepped back in time.
This little courtyard turned out to be our favorite cut-through from one street to the next.
We discovered that Cour de Temple connects rue du Temple and rue de la Consultat. From a distance the opening to the connecting passage appears to be a “hobbit hole” according to my hubby. In the photo below, the light (at knee-height on the woman in the center) emanates from the connecting passage between the two streets. There are steps down to the passage which is why the opening seems to be so much smaller than the woman who has just entered the courtyard.
Look at the light about knee-height on the woman. The light emanates from the passageway directly behind her to the adjacent street.
The courtyard has beautiful columns and arches and several artisanal shops. This one featured hand-painted sneakers.
Don’t you want a pair of hand-painted sneakers?
Place de la Motte
The lovely covered market (Halles Centrale) on Place de la Motte houses a wonderful little bistro that I highly recommend! Plus it also has all the traditional veggie, beef, fish and cheese venders.
I really like how the glass windows reflect the surrounding buildings in this late afternoon light.
Bistro d’Olivier : At Bistro d’Olivier prepare to share a table with locals. The little bistro was super busy with excellent food. Located in a long narrow space, benches not chairs provide seating at long community tables. It was delightful! Our table was a mix of business people and “ladies who lunch”. Everyone was super friendly and we had a great time!
Bistrot d’Olivier in Halles Centrale
However, if you prefer to dine on a terrace, just step out to Place de la Motte – there are multiple choices to choose from. Plus, you have the lovely tomphe l’oeil on the sides of several buildings to examine while you eat.
Trompe l’oeil on Place de la Motte
More Good Places to Eat in Limoges
Brasserie Michard : Pizza and good beer can’t be beat in any language. Brasserie Michard is a micro brewery with amazing wood-fired pizzas. We ate here twice as it was just too good not to!
Brasserie Michard – Place Denis Dussoubs
La Vache au Plafond : La Vache au Plafond (The Cow on the Ceiling) serves copious quantities of excellent food. When I discovered the restaurant on the web, I decided we had to visit, just based on its name alone. When we walked in and saw the kitschy ceiling decorations, I hoped we had not made a poor choice, but the food, service and prices did not disappoint us!
La Vache au Plafond
Flân’elles : This tea shop is centrally located, which made it a good place to stop for a break in the middle of the afternoon. We found lots of great gifts here as well as a good selection of teas at Flân’elles.
Flan’elles was a great little tea shop and boutique that we frequented.
Until next time, Limoges! We will definitely be back.
Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome post..