gare Limoges Bénédictins

10 things that you probably don’t know about Limoges-Bénédictins train station

“One of the most beautiful stations in the world”. Limoges-Bénédictins train station, listed as a Historical Monument since 1975, labelled “20th-century Heritage, is incredibly eye-catching. Its neo-regional style blends together several architectural movements such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco. This year, 2019, it is celebrating its 90th anniversary, but do you really know it?

1. Its location

The ground which the station stands on was once occupied by a leprosarium (today place Maison Dieu). It was adjoined to the Benedictine monastery from which it takes its name.

2. The clock tower

Le campanile et le dôme de la gare de Limoges

This towering 67-metre high tower is taller than that of the Gare de Lyon in Paris. It embraces a clock with four faces linked together so all indicate the same time.

3. The clock

L’une des quatre horloges du campanile de la gare de Limoges

The clock comprises 4 faces featuring Roman numerals, except for the 4, written as IIII and not IV to pursue the clock’s stylistic harmony. Highly-original: the clocks are always 2 minutes ahead of time to ensure traveller punctuality!

4. Its nicknames

Like the Eiffel Tower, the criticized monument was given various nicknames: “thousand-legged giant”, “block of lard” and even “camel hump”.

5. The concourse

Le dôme et ses verrières

Beneath the concourse dome, each wall angle features an allegorical sculpture symbolizing one of the four French provinces served by the Paris-Orléans railway company: Limousin, Brittany, Touraine and Gascogne. Each is illustrated with its own emblems. Limousin is represented by a woman carrying a porcelain vase, ears of wheat, chestnuts and chestnut leaves.

6. Underground passages

les souterrains

Between 1942 and 1945, the station was occupied by German troops. The Germans used an underground passage, located under the railway tracks, as a passive defence shelter. The sign “Réservé à la Wehrmacht” (Wehrmacht only) is still visible.

7. Above the tracks

une gare au dessus des voies

Limoges station is rather unique in that it is built above the tracks and not along them like other stations. A 96 m by 70 m platform, laid perpendicularly, 7 metres above ten railway tracks. The project required over 10,000 m3 of concrete, 1,800 t of steel, 2,800 m3 of stone and 200 labourers.

8. 18 May 1929

The station was inaugurated on 2 July 1929 but the first train ticket was sold there at 6am on 18 May 1929. In 2019, Limoges-Bénédictins train station will blow out its 90 candles.

9. Cinematography

In 2008, Jean-Pierre Jeunet chose Limoges station to shoot the commercial for Chanel N°5 perfume: “Train de nuit”, starring French actress Audrey Tautou.

10. The fire

Dôme gare Limoges

Like Notre-Dame de Paris in 2019, Limoges station was almost destroyed by fire in 1998. The fire occurred in the dome which was being restored. It took over a year to rebuild it to its original design.

Bonus info

Did you know that Limoges train station has a song dedicated to it? “Limoges Opéra Rock”, the musical fresco, devotes a song to the station: “Limoges Bénédictins”.
Listen in, track 19

Tours of the station are organized by Limoges Tourist Office:
www.limoges-tourisme.com/
12 boulevard de Fleurus - 87000 Limoges
Telf. +33(0)5 55 34 46 87
info@limoges-tourisme.com

PRACTICAL INFO 

Office de Tourisme de Limoges, 12 boulevard de Fleurus, 87000 Limoges
+33(0)5 55 34 46 87

Limoges-Bénédictins train station  

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PRACTICAL INFO 

Office de Tourisme de Limoges, 12 boulevard de Fleurus, 87000 Limoges
+33(0)5 55 34 46 87

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Ferme des Barres - Highland Dairy and Meat Products

Sales of dairy products and highland beef. In organic conversion.


Products offered: plain and flavoured yoghurts, yoghurts with elderflowers, dessert creams, plain and flavoured tomme, Moelleux des Barres, Highland beef.

Les Barres 87330 NOUIC
- OT Pays du Haut Limousin -
- OT Pays du Haut Limousin -
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The Casseaux Porcelain Kiln Museum

The Casseaux museum is home to the Casseaux porcelain kiln, built in 1904. Today, it is a historical and technical site dedicated to Limoges porcelain. This 19th-century industrial building tells the story of the evolution of porcelain-making and the hardships and successes involved in the quest to master fire.

The skills required in porcelain-making include preparing the clay, casting, calibrating, and baking (several times). Special tools, machines, and various utensils are on display in the museum. All of these elements are a reminder of the men and women who worked here, the importance of their skills, and above all, their struggle to master the kiln's flames, constantly striving to perfect their techniques.

The Casseaux Museum is an essential part of the vestiges of Limoges's porcelain saga. It is run by an association, created in the 1980s, by a group of manufacturers who were also history and heritage enthusiasts. It takes visitors on a journey back in time. The impressive 19th-century edifice is built on a historical site. Its architecture is remarkable and it is a true witness to the human and technical achievements involved in the history of the porcelain industry. The presence of old machinery adds to the museum's authentic atmosphere. Its "piece de resistance" is located in the center of the museum: the Casseaux porcelain kiln. The kiln was registered as a Historical Monument in 1987, for its ingenuity and the human symbol it represents. It is France's very last round reversed flame kiln. It was built in 1902 and baked its first porcelain pieces in 1904. It stopped being used in 1957. Its architecture is industrial and it has a capacity of 80 cubic meters. It could contain between 10.000 and 15.000 pieces per batch. The main issue involved in baking porcelain in this kiln was mastering fire: this is not surprising when you consider that each batch took almost a week to bake!

1 rue Victor Duruy 87000 LIMOGES
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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The University's Law School

The 17th-century hotel of La Bastide is devoted to the University's Law School. For its renovation in 1996, the architect Massimilio Fuksas associated the initial structure with a contemporary one, where two lecture halls seem to be hanging.

32 rue Turgot 87000 LIMOGES
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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The Adrien Dubouché National Museum - Limoges - "Cité de la Céramique - Sèvres & Limoges"

The Adrien Dubouché National Museum is located in the heart of the world's fire arts capital. It presents the different techniques used for ceramic-making. It also traces back through the history of art and civilizations through the prism of porcelain, a matter that continues to reveal its assets today.

Visitors are greeted in an emblematic venue, conceived to enhance all 300.000 of its pieces. After contemplating the original 1900 building, decorated with various pieces of porcelain, visitors are invited to cross the garden to an impressive glass façade, that links the old historical building to the old Decorative Arts School. This unusual architecture shows what a huge renovation program the museum underwent, beginning in 2003. The Austrian architect Boris Podrecca managed the project: a contemporary junction between the two pre-existing buildings, a type of parallel between two temporalities. He gave the old school a cohesive longevity while developing the old historical building's possibilities. This was one of France's largest projects over the last 10 years: the museum doubled its original size to 7.000 square meters, enabling it to become wheelchair-friendly and to host temporary exhibitions. The number of visitors also doubled. Almost 30.000 people come to admire the museum's splendid ceramics, each year since the renovations took place. Special porcelain signposts with industrial typography guide visitors during their tour.

The tour begins with the "Technique Mezzanine" designed by Boris Podrecca: a gallery of light that introduces visitors to the origins of ceramics with 4 blocks representing the different steps of porcelain-making.

The historical building takes visitors on a journey to the genesis of ceramic history. The exhibition hall was inaugurated in 1900. It was designed specially to house ceramic pieces offered by the museum's main sponsor, Adrien Dubouché.

This long corridor's display cabinets is a registered Historical Monument. It presents potteries, earthenware, stoneware, glass, and porcelain in various forms, whether they are artistic, practical, or industrial, from the Ancient Times to the 18th century. When you walk down this corridor, you are taking a stroll through time and civilizations. Ceramics have been part of everyday life since 10.000 BC. By having a look at each item, visitors get a better idea of how civilizations influenced, enriched, and sometimes competed with each other, through commercial, cultural, and intellectual exchanges over the centuries. Porcelain presented important stakes once it appeared in China in the 6th century. It only appeared in Europe in the early 18th century, which gives us an idea of the covetousness it aroused. It was considered a treasure fit for kings, precious and expensive since no one knew how to make it back then. In the 18th century, ceramics became art objects.

New era, new universe for the third part of the museum located in the old Decorative Arts School: much like a classroom, with a colourful labyrinth of cabinets displaying works from the 19th century to today. In the 19th century, artists rediscovered just about everything, whether in terms of culture (the Far East, Japonism, Ancient Egypt...), or artistic movements (Romanticism, Impressionism...). Quite often, ceramics are a stakeholder and even a pioneer of different artistic movements through time.

The last, most prestigious part of the tour: the thinnest Limoges porcelain collection in the world. The scenography was completely reinvented during the museum's renovations. It wraps visitors up in an incomparable architectural atmosphere. The ray of light from the room's glass ceiling shines upon the display cabinets, lighting them up like immaculate treasure chests containing porcelain gems.

Visiting the Adrien Dubouché museum means understanding the evolution of the world's civilizations, exploring the History of Art, contemplating the genius of Man and discovering the golden age of Limousin porcelain that continues to evolve today. In May of 2012, the museum created a partnership with the public Institution of Sèvres to create the " Cité de la céramique - Sèvres & Limoges". This partnership shows Limoges's worldwide aura and makes the museum a "must" on the "Route de la Porcelaine".

8 bis place Winston Churchill 87000 LIMOGES
Du 02/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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Brasserie Le Cap'tain

Julien, le maître des lieux met à l'honneur les boissons et les mets de sa région, en proposant des bières de brasseurs limousins, boissons de distilleries locales et en faisant ses courses aux halles ou chez les meilleurs fromagers de la ville.

22 bis place de la Motte 87000 LIMOGES
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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Esprit Porcelaine (copie)

Esprit Porcelaine, c’est 30 ans de créations plurielles. Le collectif d'artistes affirme son goût pour les formes nouvelles, avec la volonté de maintenir l'image d'excellence de la porcelaine de Limoges. Depuis 1984, ses créateurs imaginent les objets d'aujourd'hui et de demain.

Esprit Porcelaine est porteur de projets relevant du très haut de gamme et de l'objet d'exception, où créativité, noblesse des matériaux et prestige sont étroitement associés. Ancré dans son territoire, il coopère étroitement avec les entreprises locales pour la fabrication et l'édition de ses modèles.

Un espace de vente et une exposition permanente de leurs créations se trouvent au magasin Table de Limoges (Médart de Noblat) à Boisseuil.

ESPRIT PORCELAINE galerie-boutique-atelier 126 rue Armand Dutreix 87000 LIMOGES
Du 04/04/2024 au 07/04/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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Restaurant Le Cheverny

Objectif : Que ce métier de Cuisinier reste à jamais une passion d’enfant. Spécialités de boeuf-chataigne-cèpes.

57 avenue Baudin 87000 LIMOGES
Du 04/01/2024 au 28/07/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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Castel Camping “Chateau de Leychoisier”

Leychoisier château offers guests the comfort of modern

facilities combined with the charms of a 15th century stately home.

The camp-site is set within the château’s magnificent grounds

planted with centuries-old trees and a holiday at Leychoisier is

guaranteed to transport you to another age and time. Quality

Camping Europe. In rental: 2 cottages for 4 people.

87270 BONNAC-LA-COTE
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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879462 - 4 people - 2 bedrooms - 3 ‘épis’ (ears of corn) - Solignac - fiche 2012

In a beautiful site overlooking the valley of the Briance, lodging next opening onto a private terrace and a forest park of 7 hectares with 3.5 km of footpaths. Pool (12 x 6m) for the 2 gites, pool (May-September)

Leygat 87110 SOLIGNAC
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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The Reynou ZOO Park

The reynou Zoo park is located in Le Vigen, just a few miles from Limoges. It is a great place for visitors of all ages! Discover, enjoy and learn all about nature and the animal kingdom! There are 600 animals (130 animal species) from the 5 continents living here. The zoo is built around a 19th century castle and the landscape park offers visitors a lovely plant decor with colours that change with each new season.

1 Domaine du Reynou 87110 LE VIGEN
Du 11/03/2024 au 30/03/2024
- OT Limoges Métropole -
- OT Limoges Métropole -
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Moulins du Daumail - moulins à cailloux, émail et pâte à porcelaine

In the 13th century there are traces of a knitting mill that softened hemp cloth and wool felt, a flour mill with 7 pairs of millstones and an oil press.
In 1713, the separation of the original mill into two lots caused 3 centuries of conflicts, hatred and lawsuits. 
In 1840, the mills of Daumail were converted into stone mills, known as pebble mills. The aim was to supply the new porcelain industry with prepared kaolin paste and enamel. Thus was born in the middle of the romantic and charming paradise of the rocky chaos of the Vienne valley, a terrible example of the heavy and brutal proto-industrial machinery of the late 19th century.

In 1976 the Tharaud factory and 1983 the Ceradel factory stopped their deleterious operation for good. The interweaving of buildings, industrial competition, the birth of social struggles and the fierce hatred between the descendants of the two mills for nearly 300 years enamelled their history with dramas and anecdotes.
Since 1989, the two mills have been united under one hand and have resumed their activity, in a hotel residence since 1999, and in a museum.
Cradles of the first social struggles, the mills stopped operating definitively in 1983.
In 2006, the association "Musée du Daumail, moulin à cailloux, émail et pâtes à porcelaine" (Daumail Museum, pebble, enamel and porcelain paste mill) was created in order to maintain the social memory of workers and employers around the architectural and technological heritage of the mills on the theme of the links between power and energy.

Translated with www.deepl.com/translator (free version)

Le Daumail 87700 SAINT-PRIEST-SOUS-AIXE
- Office de Tourisme du Val de Vienne -
- Office de Tourisme du Val de Vienne -
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Anne Boudet's bed and breakfast (Gîtes de France)

At the heart of an agricultural and forestry estate, the large family house opens onto a large shady park with old trees calm and peaceful ponds. It is with great friendliness that you will be greeted at Masbareau. 2 bedrooms on 1st and 2nd floor, a comfortable apartment for a family, private facilities. Wifi. Private forest walks, fishing pond, hiking. Home horse and pilgrims of St Jacques de Compostela. Dogs allowed in the property but not in the house. Open all year.

Le Masbareau 87400 ROYERES
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- Office de Tourisme de Noblat -
- Office de Tourisme de Noblat -
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Château de Châlucet

12th Century Medieval Fortress, Châlucet is situated in the Domaine du Ligoure forest park. As you walk through the ruins, admire the impressive exterior as well as remnants of its former glory, such as the remains of staircases perched on top of fallen towers, the arches of old doors or ancient passages. In the "lower" Châlucet, climb to the top of the Jeannette tower and discover a breathtaking panorama over the Briance valley. A beautiful walk combining patrimony and nature to discover...

lieu Dit, Tours de Chalusset, Site de Châlucet 87260 SAINT-JEAN-LIGOURE
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- OT Pays de Nexon - Monts de Châlus -
- OT Pays de Nexon - Monts de Châlus -
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Plan d'eau de Saint Martin Terressus

D29 par Le Palais, St Priest Taurion. Dans St Martin accès fléché (400 m du bourg).

Plan d'eau communal 87400 SAINT-MARTIN-TERRESSUS
- Office de Tourisme de Noblat -
- Office de Tourisme de Noblat -
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875406 - 15 people - 5 bedrooms - 2 ‘épis’ (ears of corn) - St Léonard de Noblat

The cottage "Chez Maître Jacques" is a large family house with a spacious terrace overlooking a beautiful site on the edge of Vienna. On site, a pleasant shady paths is ideal for fishing, boating and wading at leisure, a hiking trail takes you from Vienne to the Tard.

Le Moulin Giraud 87400 SAINT-LEONARD-DE-NOBLAT
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- Office de Tourisme de Noblat -
- Office de Tourisme de Noblat -
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Le Relais des Tuileries Restaurant

Le Relais des Tuileries is a spacious and lovely restaurant built in an old tile dryer. Its stone walls and wooden beams contribute to its special atmosphere. Come and try our regional specialties. We look forward to greeting you!

689 route de Limoges Les Betoulles 87620 SEREILHAC
- Office de Tourisme du Val de Vienne -
- Office de Tourisme du Val de Vienne -
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874410 - 14 people - 5 bedrooms - 4'épis' (ears of corn) - Saint Sylvestre

Cottage very comfortable housed in a large farm, a typical hamlet Mountains Ambazac. It opens through large windows onto a terrace and an enclosed garden of 1200 m2 with independent heated pool and secure (8 x 4 m). The cottage was built for a relaxing holiday with a range of services on site and around whatever météo. many leisure options are offered: horseback riding, fishing, cooking classes, golf ..

Chabanne Chabanne 87240 SAINT-SYLVESTRE
Du 01/01/2024 au 31/12/2024
- OT Monts du Limousin -
- OT Monts du Limousin -
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Sargnat Farm

It is quite naturally that Anthony joined the family farm of Jean-Marc and Claudine, a Limousin cow farm for 3 generations. Thanks to the sharing of their know-how, the farm is taking a new direction and will be offering direct sales of meats raised on their land from the start of the year 2020. Cattle, pigs and poultry are fed in the pure tradition with products grown on their land.

This project was born from a desire to offer you meat of the best possible quality by giving priority to direct sales to consumers.

Their know-how is in line with animal-friendly breeding techniques. The surface area of the farm allows for grazing and the production of feed (fodder, cereals, wheat, barley, corn, sunflower...). Cattle, pigs and poultry are raised and fed in the pure tradition with products grown on their land. All our cattle are born on the spot. The

Poultry are housed at 5 weeks of age and the pigs weigh about 15 kg when they arrive on the farm, they come from trusted partners with the same ethics.


Translated with www.deepl.com/translator (free version)

1 bis Sargnat 87700 SAINT-MARTIN-LE-VIEUX
- Office de Tourisme du Val de Vienne -
- Office de Tourisme du Val de Vienne -