Limousin is the least densely populated mainland region of France, and one of the most unspoilt, an area where tradition not only survives but thrives, particularly in arts and crafts.
Visitors to the area can follow the arts trades route, put together by the Pôle des Métiers d'Art (Centre for Arts & Crafts). This trail highlights more than 50 workshops where visitors can watch talented local craftspeople transform wood, earth, leather, stone and glass into practical works of art. The sights and sounds of these workshops have echoed through the surrounding countryside for generations, and the skill is thrilling to behold.
The tapestry weavers of Aubusson, in Creuse, were placed on Unesco's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009. There are many steps involved in making a tapestry and a different set of skills, passed down through the centuries, is required. Aubusson is the only place where all these skills coexist, shared among 100 weavers in 15 workshops.
The Tapestry Museum is currently staging an exhibition of 18th-century works, including loans from the great European museums. It is one of the 20 finest exhibitions in France, according to the nation's culture ministry, and more than 40 of the finest tapestries, as well as drawings, plans and sketches will enhance visitors' appreciation of the craft.
These were practical objects as well as works of art, keeping the chill from vast stone-walled rooms without central heating. They went out of style after the French Revolution when wallpaper was introduced, but staged a comeback in the 1930s when artists such as Cocteau, Picasso, Dufy and Dalí were invited to Limousin to weave their magic.
Limousin's other great crafts centre is Limoges, whose name is synonymous with porcelain. Limoges has just the right combination of natural resources for its manufacture: water, granite, wood for heating, and - especially - the kaolin clay found in nearby Saint-Yrieix.
The Adrien Dubouché Museum houses the world's largest collection of Limoges porcelain, as well as ceramics ranging from ancient China to the present day. About 15,000 pieces are on display. Visitors will also see evidence of it all over the city: on walls, ornamental fountains, and in the shops of Louis Blanc boulevard, better known as "porcelain boulevard".
To find out more about this destination, visit gotofrancenow.com/limousin
