Top 12 MUST-SEE Things To Do In Limoges, France + Map

Things to do in Limoges, France

Planning a trip to Limoges in France? Here you can read all the best things to do on your trip, including the must-see attractions in Limoges city

Limoges is a small city located in the centre of France with a population of about 250,000 people. I visited Limoges for a weekend city break, however, most people on my flight into Limoges airport were staying out in the countryside.

But why not stay for a couple of days to explore all the things to do in Limoges?

In 2018, it was named as a UNESCO creative city, so why not see for yourself how much there is to do in this historic French city!

Limoges is certainly famous for one thing, after researching things to do in the trip on Pinterest there was a common theme. I typed in ‘What to see and do in Limoges’ but all that came up was hundreds of pictures of Limoges porcelain. But I wanted to explore the city and see what else it had to offer.

Here I have picked my 10 favourite things to do in Limoges plus what to see and do on your trip to make the most out of your weekend trip.

(Plus a couple of bonus things to do on your city break!)

12 Best things to do in Limoges

Limoges train station (Gare de Limoges)

Things to do in Limoges, France - Limoges train station
Limoges beautiful train station

This might seem odd but the train station has to be one of the must-see places to visit in Limoges.

If you’re arriving or leaving by train you’ll get to see the ‘Gare de Limoges’ or if you’re doing a day trip from the city, like the trip I did to nearby Aixe sur Vienne. But if you’re not catching a train to or from the city then be sure to pop and visit before you go.

Top tip

Be sure to pop and see Limoges train station at nighttime too. Since we were staying close to the train station we had the chance to see it at night too, which is pretty all lit up.

Picnic in Champ de Juliet

This is a beautiful park in the city centre and it is close to the train station, it’s literally across the road. It’s a relatively small park so it won’t take long to walk around. There are water fountains, statues and more views of the train station, in case you’ve not had enough.

Top tip

If you visit in spring this is the best place to see cherry blossoms in full bloom, a must-see thing in Limoges.

Limoges Cathedral (Cathedral St Etienne)

Things to do in Limoges, France - Limoges Cathedral
Limoges Cathedral, gardens are round the back

A prominent feature in any city and Limoges doesn’t disappoint. This beautiful cathedral is situated in the middle of Limoges smaller historic district, known as Quartier Historic de la Cite (there are actually two).

There are traditional French houses close by, including my favourite street Rue du Rajat as you walk down to the river.

The cathedral has some beautiful architecture to admire from outside but is also open if you want to explore the inside too. 

The opening time varies between 9 am to 5 pm or 6 pm, depending on the time of year. 

Top tip

Visiting Limoges Cathedral is a great activity to do on a rainy day in the city (or shading from the summer heat).

I was saving visiting the inside of the cathedral on last day when it was raining but ran out of time.

Botanique Garden, L’Eveche Gardens and city views

Limoges, France - Limoges gardens
Limoges gardens overlook the Limoges city and river

Situated behind Limoges Cathedral the Botanique Gardens are tucked out of the way. But be sure to add it on your list of things to do.

They are relatively small so it doesn’t take long to wander around. Then a larger garden, the Jardin de l’Eveche opens up with a cute fountain and amazing views overlooking the city of Limoges across the River Vienne.

During the evening many Limoges locals were sat enjoying a few drinks in the warm sunshine or playing a traditional game of French bouls.

An extra place to visit in Limoges

The building in the photo above is the Museum of Limoges Fine Arts, which displays of French art through the ages.

If you have time and are looking for more things to do on your trip (or if it’s raining and you want to go inside!) The reviews suggest it’s worth a visit.

Walk along the River Vienne

Things to do in Limoges, France - River Vienne
Walking along the River Vienne in Limoges

Walk down from Limoges Cathedral and gardens there’s a pretty walk across the Pont Neuf bridge. Here you have pretty views of the river and the older bridge (Pont Saint Etienne) a short walk away.

You can walk both sides of the River Vienne on well-established paths but I picked the side in the sunshine.

There are also a few cafes and bars on the opposite side of the bridge so you can stop and grab a drink or bite to eat.

Explore historic Limoges on your trip

Historic Limoges Cour du Temple - France
A secret courtyard in Limoges

Heading now away from the River Vienne and the Quartier Historique de la Cite you’ll come across Limoges’ second and larger historic districts, the Quartier Historique du Chateau.

My advice is to explore this fascinating part of the city on foot so you don’t miss out on any of the cute cobbled streets and alleyways which wind in and out of the city centre.

Take a walk down the main street Rue Jean Jaures then pick any smaller street and enjoy those cute French buildings and hidden alleyways. I literally could have wandered around all day taking photos.

Must-see places to see in the Historic Centre of Limoges

Visit Cour du Temple and Rue de la Boucherie

These are two places to be sure to see in Limoges historic centre.

Pictured above was my favourite spot which I found by accident. The Cour du Temple is a private courtyard (I read this after) which demonstrates beautiful Renaissance elegance. You’ll find this treasure down the Rue du Temple.

The Rue de la Boucherie is a pretty street too, where there was a museum you could visit. Sadly, a fire has destroyed a lot of this building which was sad to see. 

What to do in Limoges at night?

It’s beautiful walking around at night too, the city is quieter but the traditional French buildings look gorgeous and make for some fun photos.

You might like to read Trip to Berlin – Alternative things to do

Les Halles Food Market, Limoges

This is a huge indoor market area in Limoges city centre, the original building was under construction when I visited and a temporary huge outdoor marque had been erected.

But it’s great to walk around to see delicious French meats and cheeses. You can also purchase crepes or cakes as a treat on your way around.

Top tip

  • I’m not sure when the original building will be renovated but the new one is considerably smaller so try not to go at peak times when French locals are doing their shopping.
  • Visit Limoges food market before your lunch and buy some tasty treats for a picnic in the park or down by the river.

Visit the Beautiful Limoges City Hall

Things to do in Limoges, France - Limoges City Hall
Limoges City Hall – a must-see place to visit in Limoges

On the outskirts of the historic city and by this I mean about 10 minutes walk from Rue de la Boucherie. Also known as Mairie de Limoges or La Hotel de Ville, the city hall is a beautiful building.

Complete with an intricately designed fountain and gardens out the front it’s a must-see place to visit on your trip.

Explore One of the Many Museums in Limoges

Musee Adrien Dubouche

Museum - What to do in Limoges - France
Find out how Limoges porcelain was made

What to do in Limoges if it’s raining?

If you’re looking for things to do in Limoges on a rainy day then museums are the perfect answer. There are various porcelain related museums but the one I chose (also recommended by some locals in the restaurant on my first night) was the Musee Adrien Dubouche.

The museum information is in French but if you can provide some ID and you can get an iPad with all the information on the corresponding numbers.

In fact, this was more information than you needed but at least you could pick and choose what you wanted to know more about.

Musee de la Resistance

Another popular museum in Limoges, allow about an hour to visit this museum.

And be sure to get the audio guide, since most of the information is written in French (unless you can remember your French from school!)

Walk Across the Pont Saint Etienne

Things to do in Limoges, France - Pont Etienne
Pont Etienne, Limoges – the bridge by day is beautiful but it’s worth a visit at night

Lastly, a visit to Limoges isn’t complete without crossing the beautiful 13th-century bridge, the Pont Saint Etienne. By day, you can see the beautiful detail of the bridge and by night it’s all lite up and is very relaxing to walk across and look up at the stars.

It’s was a bit of a walk from my hotel but totally worth it for the night time photos. A perfect end to your weekend break.
This map includes all the best places to visit in Limoges to help you plan your break to this city.

Map of the best things to do in Limoges

All the markers in yellow are the locations of the things to do in the post and the purple ones are my recommendations for places to go for something to eat or drink (see more details at the bottom).

Hopefully, this will help you plan your trip to Limoges and be able to fit everything in.

Have a fun trip.

Day Trips From Limoges

Aixe sur Vienne, France- perfect day trip from Limoges
Aixe sur Vienne, France the perfect day trip from Limoges city

Aixe Sur Vienne near Limoges

In a couple of days, you could see and do most things you wanted to in Limoges.

However, it has a great transport network so would be a good place to base yourself from to explore more of this part of France. There are many small towns and villages close to visit near Limoges, as well as the big cities a little further away.

Paris to Limoges is over a 4-hour drive, whereby closer Bordeaux is about 2.5 hours and Toulouse about 3 hours drive.

Places to visit near Limoges?

  • Aixe sur Vienne is the closest town and makes a great day trip, but there are many other destinations you could visit in the area too.
  • I jumped on a train from Limoges and spent a day exploring Aixe sur Vienne (next to the river Vienne).

Read more about my day trip to Aixe sur Vienne here.

Places to Eat in Limoges

Here are the places I had dinner whilst I was visiting.

Plus a cute coffee shop that’s definitely worth a visit when in the historic centre, close to the indoor food market.

Le Bistrot Jourdan

A small Bistrot in the business district of Limoges, not too far from the cathedral. They had a great selection of delicious French dishes, freshly made. I opted for the €24 3-course menu – salmon carpaccio, beef tenderloin kebab and chocolate fondant with cream and ice-cream for dessert.

Le Bistrot Jourdan in Limoges

Le Bistrot Jourdan in Limoges

Le Bistrot Jourdan in Limoges

The second night we opted for a slightly more expensive restaurant in Limoges city centre, there was actually a bottle of wine that cost €500 – no we did not try it!

I would suggest part of the expense was connected with the location as this was in the heart of the main historic quarter of Limoges.

Cafe 1900 Limoges

I loved this cute cafe, it was decorated in Art Deco and a great place to stop and rest your legs from walking around. Cafe 1900 is situated close to Les Halles and serve coffees or beers so something for everyone.

How to get to Limoges?

By Flight

Planes land at Limoges Bellegarde International Airport. Although the airport itself is very small and won’t take you long to walk from one side to the other. Even passport control and the luggage carousel are in the same area a few feet away from each other!

Taxis are available outside the airport which cost around €25 to the city centre. Public buses are only available in the peak summer season.

By Train

Of course, the gorgeous train station as mentioned above is a great way to travel to and from Limoges. It’s only a short walk to the main city centre. Trains to Paris takes just over 3 hours and Bordeaux is about 2 hours on the train.

By Bus

The main coach station Ciel Benedictins is close to the city centre and has buses heading to various destinations.

Check out bus routes with Flixbus, Ouibus and Isilines

By Car

Taking a road trip from Paris is via the A20 motorway and takes nearly 4 hours, although there are plenty of beautiful stops you could make on the way!

Where to Stay in Limoges?

Limoges - France - exploring the street of Limoges
Exploring the beautiful streets

As mentioned above, I wouldn’t recommend the Ibis Budget. Yes, it was very cheap but the hotel was basic and the corridors had the feel of a prison, no I’ve never been in a prison but I’ve seen them on TV haha.

The room was simple and in the style of a double/single bunk bed, with the single above in case, you were wondering. No tea/coffee, hairdryer included, hence the ‘budget option’. Breakfast was extra at €6 per person.

Even the bathroom (towels included) required you to be a contortionist to shower and get dressed in the tiny space. But you get what you pay for so at €86 for 2 nights, for 2 people it was ok for a short trip.

There are plenty more options for places to stay in Limoges from budget to luxury, in fact, there are over 90 different options.

Why not treat yourself to a stay at Hôtel Mercure Royal Limousin or how about Novotel Limoges Le Lac which has a heated swimming pool!

Check out availability and prices for where to stay in Limoges now with Booking.com

If you are looking for more luxury and comfort on your Limoges trip then check out Airbnb (£25 off your first stay at Airbnb) or some of these hotel options at Booking.com

Why Limoges is the Perfect Break?

Flights to Limoges From the UK

My choice of destination was purely based on a cheap flight direct from my local airport East Midlands flying directly with budget airline Ryanair.

The total cost was £20 for a return flight to Limoges! 

Check out more flights here. Also since it was a short 2-night trip, the hand luggage allowance was plenty for the luggage I needed so no extra costs there.

You can also fly direct to Limoges Airport with Ryanair from London Stansted, Bristol, Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool and Manchester.

East Midlands Airport travel

The 3-day cost for car parking at £50 worked out more than the flights haha. This was the best option since a taxi was more expensive and I was travelling with my brother so we could share the costs. 

If you’re travelling solo, which I am most of the time you can catch the Skylink Express from Nottingham city centre. This costs £13 for two trips and takes around 30 minutes!

After arriving and checking into Ibis Budget Limoges (cheap but definitely not cheerful) it was time to explore and see what the city had to offer. Within 5 minutes walk from the hotel was the beautiful train station so at least there was one positive to the hotel haha.

Tempted to visit Limoges or would you like to ask me any more questions about what to see and do in Limoges? Ask me any questions in the comments below.

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Things to do in Limoges, France

Things to do in and what to see in Limoges, France

What to see and do in Limoges. Plus the best things to do in Limoges, France

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6 thoughts on “Top 12 MUST-SEE Things To Do In Limoges, France + Map

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  3. carmel bolton says:

    hi . thanks for all this info, you seem to be the best at describing all i need to know . We shall certainly be visiting all of the above . I think my BEEF is the cost of the taxi from/back to airport (costs more than our flights !) We will be staying in limoges central. how can we get there and back cheaply ? any advise wuld be fab. thank you Carmel

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