Limousin, France, is an utterly enchanting side of France that tourists rarely see.
During a cross-country trip, I made a brief stop in Limoges, the regions capital.
Having read about the glorious train station, I ducked in.
Domaine des Étangs, a 13th-century château set on 2,500 acres in Massignac—now part of Auberge Resorts Collection.Credit:William Craig Moyes
Beneath that grand cupola loomed a quartet of sculpted women, each embodying a region of France.
Ive seen many provincial French train stations, and they dont normally look like this.
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I was hardly alone in underestimating Limousin.
From left: A mushroom omelette at Le Cantou, in Collonges-la-Rouge; a rowboat at Domaine des Étangs.William Craig Moyes
But places overlooked in the capital tend to preserve their unique charms better than those inundated by fashionable Parisians.
I found an unkempt wilderness so beautiful that, I learned, 19th-century painters risked highway robbery to visit.
Im going to become vegetarian, he said, laughing.
The medieval town of Uzerche.William Craig Moyes
Theyre outside my house, and theyre too beautiful to eat.
Tables teemed with cheeses, dripping honeycombs, and the biggest cabbages Ive ever seen.
I found bread by the kilo, plump prunes, and the seasons first mushrooms.
From left: Cartoons at Chez Francis, in Brive; a cobblestoned street in Limoges.William Craig Moyes
Theyre the work of the authors who eat at the restaurantduring Brives annual book fair in November.
We dont make alcohol, she explained.
We are more likeparfumiers,using alcohol to extract the flavor of plants.
From left: A scene at La Chapelle Saint Martin, an intimate hotel in Nieul; detail of a tapestry in Aubusson.William Craig Moyes
There are two kinds of beauty in Limousin.
Still, like Sand, I was more enchanted by the wildness.
The Monks Canal at Aubazine was carved from sheer rock by 12th-century Cistercians, a largely silent order.
La Creuzette, a restored mansion turned guesthouse in the village of Boussac.William Craig Moyes
The canal water fed their vast abbey, which after the French Revolution became a convent and orphanage.
In the abbey, the light filtered through the stained-glass windows, each one a study in elegant restraint.
In another room, I watched two craftspeople weaving a scene from Hayao Miyazakis film “Princess Mononoke.
From left: A carving of a woman representing the Limousin region in the Limoges train station; cheese maker Jean-Marie Dufour in Limoges.William Craig Moyes
There are two kinds of beauty in Limousin.
One is wild and unkempt; the other is manicured to an almost uncanny prettiness.
When we didnt, Olivier delivered wine to our room, then vanished.
No wonder painters were prepared to brave a journey that, before trains, took a week.
Our journey to Limoges was far less arduous.
It was all served on Limoges porcelain so delicate that much of it requires hand-washing.
To this day, nobody knows why this particular village was chosen for such a savage attack.
It made for a powerful memorial.
After so much destruction we found relief in beauty.
Then we went to see the porcelain.
to delicate Chinese pieces to exquisite coffee services and artworks by Cindy Sherman and Picasso.
And I could have sworn she smiled back.
There is a floating tennis court and a spa in a converted water mill.
Doubles from $450.
The outdoor pool is an ideal spot to pass the time between meals.
Doubles from $273.
Doubles from $185.
Entrees $32$43.
Prix fixe from $29.
Le Cantou
The Valen family has owned this building in Collonges-la-Rouge for generations.
Prix fixe from $24.
Entrees $21$31.
The liqueurs, the result of this regions abundance of nuts, are delicious.
Oradour-sur-Glane
During World War II, one of the worst massacres on French soil took place in this village.
