Tours in Limoges

Limoges is known as the Jingdezhen of Europe. If you want to learn more about the porcelain of Limoges, you have to visit a famous porcelain factory. Among them, the French famous porcelain Bernardaud has a foundation and is the only famous porcelain factory in Limoges open to tourists. 300 years ago, Chinese porcelain swept across Europe and was known as "White Gold". Europeans tried hard to find the secret recipe for making porcelain, but to no avail. It was not until 1768 that a washerwoman in Limoges accidentally discovered that using some kind of white clay Laundry can make clothes whiter, and this is how the secret of the "white gold" of Chinese porcelain is revealed - kaolin. The discovery of kaolin also made Limoges, a peaceful town, suddenly become the most famous porcelain town in France.

In 1845, the French porcelain merchant Adrien Dubouche donated his lifelong collection of porcelain from various countries and established the Ceramic Museum (Musee Na-tional Adrien Dubouche) in Limoges. It has tens of thousands of exhibits, dating from two to three thousand years ago. Ancient pottery from the pre-Greek and Roman period to classic porcelain by contemporary designers are all on display in the museum.

Adrien Dubouche’s collection is very rich, including: the royal porcelain plate of the British Queen Elizabeth II when she came to the throne, the presidential porcelain plate of American Presidents Hayes (Hayes) and Lincoln, and the famous artist Raymond Loewy for Air France Mini-size dinnerware designed for first-class passengers.

The "white porcelain candle cup", a specialty of Limoges, is also one of the museum's exhibits. The candlelight shines through the thin and white porcelain cup, reflecting the beautiful concave and convex patterns on the cup surface, which is elegant and delicate. The Four des Casseaux, one of 135 porcelain kilns spread across the city, is the last surviving porcelain kiln. The Four des Casseaux kiln (Four des Casseaux) was founded in 1884 by the Alluaud workshop and can fire up to 10,000 pieces of porcelain. Ancient porcelain craftsmanship is on display throughout the year (with photos and various pictures).

Haviland, built in 1842. The Haviland workshop organizes tours of its Pavillon. There, you can see the entire production process of a piece of porcelain. You can also visit the Haviland Museum. The Haviland Museum displays the history of the "atypical" family of Haviland. The family is from the United States. In the 19th century, the Havilland family decided to devote themselves to the production of ceramics in Limoges for sale on the American market.

Raynaud, built in 1849. It is a pity to open its decoration workshop to the public. If you happen to be there at one of the open days, don’t hesitate to miss the opportunity. Because the products produced by the Raynaud factory are exquisite and unparalleled. If you are completely impressed by the charm of this exquisite art, we recommend that you also visit the National Ceramic Museum. Not only is the collection rich, but there are also a variety of pottery products from all over the world: from early prehistoric pots to modern works. There are also several workshops near Limoges. Saint Yriex La Perche, south of Limoges, is the cradle of all these factories, because the first old earth mine was discovered here.

The Palu Museum (musee des Palloux) on the lakeside is reminiscent of the epic of porcelain art. There is an exhibition of fine porcelain.