ITINERARY USING LIMOGES AS A BASE

DAY 1 – LIMOGES, CAPITAL OF FIRED ARTS

Morning: Elegance and expertise
Guided tour of the old town: La Cité and Le Château neighbourhoods, Limoges Cathedral and Jardins de l’Évêché botanical gardens.
Tour of a working porcelain factory (Arquié or CRAFT).

Afternoon: Fired arts and contemporary design
Tour of the Musée National Adrien Dubouché, the international benchmark in porcelain.
Wander around the market hall and sample local specialities: clafoutis, black pudding, Saint-Yrieix madeleines.

Overnight stay in Limoges.

DAY 2 – THE VALLEY OF PAINTERS : IN THE SHOES OF MONET AND GUILLAUMIN (1.5 hr drive)

Morning: Artistic light and landscapes
Make a beeline for where the rivers Creuse and Sédelle meet and visit the villages of Crozant and Fresselines.
Drink in the iconic Impressionist landscapes in the Vallée des Peintres and find out how the 19th century art movement came to be at the Visitor Centre.

Afternoon: Inspired by nature
Guided tour of the places that inspired Claude Monet, Armand Guillaumin and artists from the Crozant school.
Back to Limoges for the evening.

DAY 3 – AUBUSSON AND THE CITÉ INTERNATIONALE DE LA TAPISSERIE (1.5 hr drive)

Morning: Aubusson, weaving time
Guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie.
Explore collections of historical and contemporary pieces, including the Tolkien and Hayao Miyazaki series.

Afternoon: Nature and sculpture on Lac de Vassivière
Hit the road to Lac de Vassivière, the pearl in the Millevaches Plateau’s crown.
Take a boat trip on the lake or cycle around it.
Visit the Centre International d’Art et du Paysage on the central island for outdoor sculptures and contemporary installations.
Back to Limoges.

DAY 4 – CHOICE OF DAY TRIPS: DORDOGNE VALLEY OR ORADOUR SUR GLANE

Option A – Dordogne Valley day trip (1.5 hr drive)
Morning: Beautiful scenery and villages
Morning start heading south of Corrèze.
Drive to villages listed as the “Plus Beaux Villages de France”, Curemonte or Turenne, then spend time in the red sandstone village of Collonges-la-Rouge.

Afternoon: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne and riverside rapture
Explore the “Limousin Riviera” that is Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, take a boat trip or sample local produce (walnuts, honey, wine).
Back to Limoges for the evening.

Option B – Remembrance and respect in Oradour-sur-Glane (35 min drive)
Morning: The martyr village
Visit the martyr village which fell victim to Nazi cruelty and has been frozen in time since June 10th 1944.