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Car Hire Limoges City

Limoges, a crossroads on the riverside of the Vienne, is located 229 miles southwest of Paris, midway between Barcelona and the Eurotunnel.

The City of Limoges has a population of 200,000 and is the 22nd largest city in France. The entire region surrounding Limoges, known as Limousin, has a population of approximately 750,000 people.

Limoges is best known for its porcelain, and its fine china developed in the 18th century out of enamel work which began in the Middle Ages. Limoges city and the surrounding region are also are known for electronics, ceramics, paper, leather and beef cattle.

Limoges: a 2000-year-old city. It is a city with two hearts. Limoges city grew up around the cathedral on a plateau overlooking the river Vienne. The Chateau, now the current commercial centre of Limoges, grew up around the Abbey of St-Martial on an adjacent rise. Its history reflected in the monuments still standing. The main railway station in Limoges is one of the most extraordinary in France, with a vast entrance hall, multiple domes and an impressive campanile clock tower. The quaint quarter of the Ancestral Guild of Butchers was established in the 13th C near the highest point of the town. There is a festival in this area every year. In the 1770′s, when kaolin was discovered nearby, Limoges became famous for its porcelain, Lalique perhaps being one of the best-known artists. Gold and silversmith monks began decorating objects with enamel during the 10th C, one of their techniques becoming a speciality of Limoges workshops by the 12th C. Enamellers continue to experiment with new and adventurous forms. The city and the surrounding region of Limousin was an area of intense resistance activity during World War II and suffered greatly from numerous deportations and massacres in the region.

Cookery in the region of Limoges is reputed to be hearty. There is the famous pate de foies gras from Brieve-la-Gaillarde and Limousin Beef. Beef, lamb and pork are a large feature of the Limousin. For example, Cote be Boeuf Limousin a la moelle et au vin de Cahors”, a recipe which uses a dark purple Cahors wine Henry IV liked to drink. Mushrooms and ceps from the Loimoges forests are considered by many to be the best quality in the world. Chestnut, walnut and apple orchards abound, all the fruits being transformed into hors d’oeuvres, entrees, desserts, wines and aperitifs. Other traditional foods in the Limoges area include cabbage braised with chestnuts and clafoutis, a creamy cherry flan. Chestnuts were once the staple of farmers’ diets and now garnish turkey, goose veal or pork stews and also as a puree with venison.