Limousin

Neglected and driven past, Limousin has only recently become popular with tourists looking for off-the-beaten track holidays where the quintessential old fashioned image of rural France still exists.

Limousin cattle graze on the pasturelands, sheep roam over the lower slopes of the Cévennes and the rivers and lakes teem with fish. Increasingly they teem with practically every form of outdoor water activity imaginable, from fishing to kayaking.

The countryside works hard for its living here. Pasturelands support the famous Limousin cattle and the clear waters of the river Creuse support the dye making for the centuries' old tradition of tapestry making.

It’s fairly remote, refreshingly underpopulated with clutches of villages and towns that seemingly have changed little in hundreds of years. Traditional crafts such as tapestry and weaving have seen a resurgence due largely to some modern innovations and enamelled cloisonné jewellery being back in demand.