tourismelimousin.com - Welcome to Limousin's official Tourism website - Local produce

The best meat in the world! The sturdy reddish Limousin cow is omnipresent in the region’s landscape and has become an emblem of Limousin all over the world. Limousin cows used to be draught cattle, which explains the quality of its tasty, tender, exquisite, lean and juicy meat.  They are regular prize-winners in contests. Limousin breeders combine quality meat with environment friendliness. A Limousin cow spends most of its time grazing the region’s prairies. The “prestige blazon” red label guarantees the meat’s top quality, controlled by authorities. Total transparency enables consumers to know exactly where their meat comes from. Limousin beef is a worldwide reference.

Sheep have long been raised in the area, the meat being sold and the offal and smaller cuts being used to make a number of specialties. « L’agneau baronet du Limousin » is the best local lamb, raised according to rigorous criteria (for example, the grains they are fed differ with each new season).

 In the « rue de la Boucherie » (Butcher’s street) in Limoges, butchers continue the tradition each year on the third Friday of October with « la frairie des petits ventres » (the little stomach fair) which began in 1861. Back then, the fair had a procession of decorated floats and a prize for the most impressive animals.

Nowadays it is an opportunity for the entire city to get together and taste local specialities, eat and have a good time.

The cul noir pig (named this way because of the black colour of its hindquarters) is also an exceptionally tasty variety of meat.  It is bred outdoors , in the Saint-Yrieix area and is exclusively fed acorns, roots and chestnuts.

Apple orchards in Limousin date back to the 1950s and over 5000 hectares are dedicated to growing this fruit, mostly the rosy and sweet« golden delicious » variety. In 2004, the Limousin apple was awarded the “AOP” label. (an award guaranteeing its exceptional quality).

Most of Limousin’s orchards are on the «route de la pomme » (apple route) near Objat, St Yrieix and Pompadour. Visit them and taste our ciders and apple juice.

Strawberry production takes place on the hillsides of Beaulieu. Three varieties in particular:”la gariguette”, “l’elsanta” and “la marat des bois” - over 2000 tonnes are produced each year and a strawberry festival, the “Fête de la fraise”, takes place once a year in May and attracts over 20.000 visitors!

Raspberries are picked manually in Concèze, Lubersac and Juillac, in Corrèze, France's second raspberry producer. 800 tonnes are produced yearly (it takes about an hour to pick just 3 kg /6.6 lbs!) 

A raspberry fest takes place every year where visitors can taste and buy liqueurs, syrups, vinegar, jam...  In 1997, Concèze was in the Guinness book of world records for the largest strawberry pie ever made!

Wild blueberries grow in the Monédières area. These berries have been organic for hundreds of years: they don't require any fertlizer, and the bushes they grow on only need to be trimmed once every 5 or 10 years. Picking takes place in the summer and is a bit tricky : the blueberries are handpicked, using a type of "comb".

Limousin has always been symbolized by a chestnut tree, also called the "bread tree", since chestnuts were the main food base here for centuries. In the beginning of the 18th century, chestnut trees covered 40% of Limousin's surface. Nowadays, these trees are mainly found in the "Pays des Feuillardiers" in Corrèze and in the south of Haute-Vienne.