Limoges, the City of French Porcelain

Hello! My name is Inosho.
This time I would like to introduce a city in central France called Limoges, which is famous for its porcelain.

Limoges, France, the “City of Porcelain

Limoges is a city in central France famous as the “City of Porcelain. It is said that many restaurants and eateries in Paris use Limoges-made tableware, or Limoges porcelain, instead of Paris-made tableware.

Unfortunately, as a casual visitor to Limoges at the time, I did not know that Limoges was famous for its porcelain. So I did some research on Limoges porcelain at a later date.

I had the impression that many of the dishes were antique-style, classic and sophisticated. I personally remembered that my grandparents’ house had many such antique-style tableware and paintings.

Personally, I like antiques. So if I ever return to Limoges again, I would like to visit the real Limoges porcelain.

Impressive Columbage

Limoges is famous for its porcelain, but what personally impressed me was finding a colombage house.

A colombage is a traditional wooden house that can be found in the Alsace region of northeastern France. The wooden framework is partially exposed to the outside to create a unique pattern.

Unfortunately, my trip to France did not take me to the Alsace region. But here in Limoges, I was able to see a Columbus house.

You can see some gorgeous Alsatian colombages on the Internet. Compared to Alsace, Limoges’ colombages are a bit more modest.

I don’t know if it is because of that, but it reminded me somehow of the countryside of Hiroshima Prefecture, my father’s hometown.

Attractions other than as a city of porcelain

Sightseeing for the authentic Limoges porcelain is still the best way to see the city. However, there is more to Limoges than porcelain.

Among them, I personally recommend the Limoges train station. It looks like a museum with its historical and magnificent appearance.

I took the high-speed train to Limoges. Therefore, the first place I got off the train in Limoges was this Limoges station.

The inside of the station is just as impressive as the outside. For a moment, you may think you are in a museum or somewhere else, instead of in a train station.

I would also like to recommend Limoges Cathedral (Abbey of Saint-Martial), which was built around the 13th century and has the appearance of a French cathedral in the Gothic style.

I am not a Christian, so I cannot look at Limoges Cathedral from a religious point of view. However, it simply looks so cool that I was moved by its appearance.

Limoges, the cool and austere city of French porcelain

I personally like the streets of Limoges, the city of French porcelain, because of its artisanal stonework. You can enjoy a different kind of charm from the fashionable feel of Paris and other cities.

Although not as well known as Paris or Marseille, I thought it was a cool and austere city overall. Another point is that it is relatively easy to access from anywhere by train.

If you like antique European porcelain or are tired of Paris and other popular cities, I highly recommend a visit to Limoges!