Limousin France

Limousin is one of France's best kept secrets, and because few people know about the beauty of the landscape, richness of culture, depth of history and strength of traditions of Limousin, it has retained a welcoming authenticity and charm. This collection of articles seeks to spread the word a little (but not too much) about the joys of visiting and living in Limousin.

As well as being one of the least visited of areas by tourists, it is also sparsely populated so the tiny hamlets, woodlands and meadows have remained quet, peaceful and unspoilt.

There's also a great deal of variety throughout the region of Limousin. It is a large area and made up of three departments, the Haute-Vienne, Correze and the Creuse. Each have their own distinctive characters and even differing climates. Les Trois Chenes Bed and Breakfast, holiday cottage - or gite and painting holidays is situated in the west of the Haute-Vienne and right on the borders of the Charente and the Dordogne. It is this area that most of the articles below describe.

A visit to Limousin is like stepping back half a century - in all the best senses. Imagine an vast, green area with almost no traffic, no parking problems, no crime, no litter, no graffiti ....

Sounds like heaven? Come to Limousin and see just how close to heaven you can be....

Image: Lac Lavaud - about five minutes from Les Trois Chenes and one of the lakes of the Haute-Charente

A land of lakes and forests

Mile after mile of gently undulating landscape is covered sweet chestnut and oak woodland, opening out onto wild flower meadows that nourish the beautiful, rich-brown Limousin cattle.

The area is rich in clear, clean rivers, sparkling lakes and ponds full of fish. A fisherman's delight. These lakes are wonderful for outdoor sports - boating, swimming, wind surfing - and for playing.

Limousin is studded with castles and chateaux and ancient history. As you travel from sleepy village to sleepy village, you'll pass neolithic standing stones and burial sites rather casually strewn along the roadsides or hidden within fields and copses. The Romans left their mark and the middle ages seem close here. Of course, the scars from the two world wars have barely healed and Limousin played a valiant part and suffered greatly in those troubled times.

Now all is peace and tranquility. Much of the area has been included in the Natural Park of Perigord-Limousin. A reserve designed to guard and cherish the natural and man-made treasures that are so abundant here.

Limousin is indeed a green and pleasant land.

In most cities the cathedral is the most imposing and the most beautiful building in the city, but I feel that Limoges cathedral is a bit of a let down (on the other hand I come from York and nothing could be more spectacular than York Minster). The railway station, Benedictins, which was designed by architect Roger Gonthier, is very special. So special that it's called the most beautiful station in Europe.

The first railway line came to the city in the 1850s and the first railway station was opened on the 16th June 1856 and was made from wood. It was replaced by a stone-built station which opened in 1860.

The present station was opened on 2 July 1929. It took from November 1918, when the agreement to build was signed to 1924 to begin the work.

The station has been restored twice: the Great Hall was finished in in 1979 and again the dome was rebuilt after a fire in 1998.

This is a special book for me because it is written by my online friend Tottie Limejuice. I first 'met' Tottie on Twitter and then migrated to Facebook too. Tottie Limejuice is a journalist with a background in publishing and I always looked forward to her intelligent and quirky tweets and quips on Facebook. There's never a dull moment 'chez Tottie'. She lives over in the Auverge, but the lifestyle is much the same - except that it's much warmer here on the Charente side of Limousin!

I would just like to say a public 'thank you' to Tottie, who took the trouble to give me good advice about my website and has given me information about how to set about becoming 'French'.

Get this book if you're thinking of moving to France - or get it if you would like a light read and a good laugh.

• The old language of the Limousin is Occitan and Lemosin is Limousin in the 'langue d'Oc'
• There are 740,743 inhabitants in Limousin (2008)
• Limousin covers almost 17,000 square km
• It's the second least populated region of France after Corsica
• The Creuse has the oldest population of any in France
• Since 1999 the population has been slowly rising
• The following famous people were born or live in Limousin: Geoff Bunn - British artist, Jacques Chirac - President of France, Franois Hollande - President-elect of France, Pierre-Auguste Renoir - painter Wreckless Eric - punk musician

Videix is tiny now, but it used to be much bigger and more important. It's one of the smaller communes in France with just c; 200 voters, but we still boast a Mairie, which also used to be the local school.

In the past Videix had a bar tabac, auberge, grocers shop and a bycle repair shop. Our church dates from the 12th century and is a listed building, but really, not much of its past worth exists now, sadly.

Just five minutes drive, or a pleasant thirty minute walk away for Videix is the lake of Lavaud. It's not a natural lake but an artificially constructed reservoir or 'plan d'eau'. It has a beach with swimming and pedalos in the summer, a play area and a little restaurant.

Just over the border, on the Charente side of the lake, they also have a beach, a very nice snack bar, and a beautiful, glass-fronted restaurante, the 'Cotes de Boeuf'. During the summer the nautical centre is open and you can hire canoes, kayaks, wind surf boards and sailing boats at excellent prices.

The local riding stables, (normally located at Pressignac, just five minutes drive away), operate from the nautical centre during the summer, so you can book a poney ride around the lake side.

France Limousin is just such a great place for outdoor pursuits and activities, sporting holidays, families and family holidays.

This picture of an old, derelict car was taken at Oradour-sur-Glane - a martyr village destroyed by the Nazi's and now preserved as an monument to the waste of war. This is a sad sight, but an important and powerful site too. You must see this but you should also see our wonderful markets, the Roman site Cassinomagus, the porcelain factories and shops, the local festivals and .... well - there's just so much!

Have you thought about getting married in France? I suppose you think it's too expensive! Think again. Think of the glorious sunshine, the empty roads, the wonderful food and wine. Think of accommodation for your guests at very reasonable prices, and think of this wonderful chateau and lake-side venue.

Wouldn't it be unforgettable?

The French are very proud of their cusine and are fully convinced that it's the best in the world. I expect they have a point. Limousin has it's own traditional, local recipes and the area is famous for its beef, chestnuts, pears, cherries and apples.

I'm not saying they're out to get you but ....

There are a whole lot of movies that have been set or filmed in the Limousin, but one of the most recent must be The War of the Buttons. I also must declare a personal interest in this film as some of the film crew stayed in our holiday cottage and I auditioned, without success, to be an 'extra' - clearly I didn't look sufficiently like a '50's French person!

And even then not on Amazon.com - you'll have to go to Amazon.fr for that.

the Limousin region has invested heavily in its footpath and bridleway systems recently with a view to creating a network of short and long distance paths. In conjunction with this they have produced a series of excellent walks. These walks begin at a central village or town and form a circular route that would take a short day - including picnics etc. Within this walk, though, you can make shorter circular paths, and even then there are lots of shortcuts if you find that the walk you've chosen is too long.

The pamphlets guide you along the walk and point out interesting features or draw your attention to the local plant and wildlife. I love these walks!

List of Sources

This is all my own work! Yes, after ten years I know enough about Limousin not to need Wikipedia! (Ooops, stats came from Wikipedia!)

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