The capital of the Limousin, Limoges hugs the banks of the River Vienne 95 km north-east of Périgueux. Famed for its enamelware since the Middle Ages, the town’s second artistic flowering occurred with the discovery of kaolin clay deposits in the late 18thC and the development of the porcelain industry.

The historic heart of town is La Cité, laid out around the Cathédrale Saint-Etienne, and former Bishops’ Palace where the Musée Municipal displays more than 500 masterpieces of local enamel work. To the west, dazzling ceramics from near and far are the preserve of the unmissable Musée National Adrien Dubouché, place Winston Churchill (www.musee-adriendubouche.fr).