What to see and do in Aubusson

With its vast areas of quiet, unspoilt countryside, the Limousin region in south-central France, is an ideal place to leave the daily grind behind and immerse yourself in the great outdoors. But this tranquil area in the eastern part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine is also a centre of enormous artistic endeavour says Gillian Thornton as she explores what to see and do in Aubusson and in nearby Saint-Leonard de Noblat.

What to see and do in Aubusson

Aubusson in the Creuse department is a UNESCO gem, listed for its Intangible Cultural Heritage. With a population barely exceeding 3,000, Aubusson has a global reputation amongst lovers of history, heritage, and needlework.

Tapestry production grew here in the 15th century, and the work of Aubusson’s skilled craftsmen adorned and insulated the grand rooms of draughty chateaux across Europe. But if, like me, you thought that tapestries were rooted firmly in the past, you have a big surprise coming. This traditional craft has a very contemporary edge too.

Discover the fascinating story at the Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie in the town centre, inaugurated in 2016 as a reference collection, exhibition centre, and training establishment. The Cité promotes French craftsmanship but also helps to support the existing sector – from spinning mills and dyeing plants to tapestry cartoon makers and weavers.

Decorated in stripes that recall the multi-coloured threads on a loom, the eye-catching façade hides a collection guaranteed to challenge your perceptions of this vibrant art form. Discover the various techniques of production, then take a chronological journey through six centuries of tapestry production that starts, as you might expect, with intricate 15^th century designs featuring unicorns, maidens and minstrels, tiny flowers, delicate leaves and fantastic beasts.

By the 17^th century, most tapestry artists worked in small family workshops in towns and villages around Aubusson and nearby Felletin, often producing series of tapestries based on popular fiction and classical tales. Demand grew and in 1665 by order of ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV, his right-hand minister Colbert drew up production rules and training programmes to improve the manufacturing process and boost sales. This led to the creation of an official stamp – the letters MRDA for Manufacture Royal d’Aubusson – that was woven onto the selvedge. All tapestries also had to be surrounded by a blue border.

Today, no design seems beyond the capabilities of a skilled weaver. After producing 14 tapestries and two carpets inspired by the works of Tolkien, the Cité is now working with Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli on six large-scale tapestries based on the ‘The Imaginary World’ of Hayao Miyazaki’. The largest tapestry will take 18 months of weaving at the Cité and will come off the looms in summer 2026. In the meantime, I am captivated by the fourth work in the series, a fantasy scene in an enchanted bedroom, packed with intricate detail in hundreds of vibrant shades.

*Cartoon Museum, Pont de la Terrade, Aubusson © Gillian Thornton*

Designs for tapestries are known as cartoons, paintings on paper or canvas that sit beneath the threads of the loom. The weaver therefore works from the back of the scene, only seeing the front at the very end. I head next to the Cartoon Museum and Workshop run by collector, restorer, and dealer Chantal Chirac on the banks of the river Creuse.

Chantal’s passion began in the 1980s when she was offered some rolls of unwanted cartoons. ‘I knew nothing about the tapestry industry, but I loved the designs and bought them on the spot,’ she says. ‘With a number of businesses closing down at the time, there was an enormous stock available to buy.’

Chantal began collecting, restoring and selling original cartoons, large and small, for use by interior designers and in private homes, and now anyone can own a framed piece of original tapestry artwork, whatever their budget and without needing the wall space or stately home for the finished needlework. Her atmospheric riverside premises are a must-do for anyone interested in stitching, design, or simply beautiful things.

Leave time too to discover the historic centre of Aubusson, it’s surprisingly animated for such a small town. I spend a very comfortable night in the elegant surroundings of the Hôtel Colbert, a period property that now operates as a restaurant with rooms, all vast and furnished with antiques. Next morning, I head up the hill behind the Tourist Office and follow the Allée de l’Horloge to the old watchtower, last vestige of the city walls that once surrounded this buzzing small town.

Across the Creuse on the opposite hillside stand the remains of an 11^th century castle, demolished in 1632 by order of Louis XIII. The stone served to build houses and workshops as Aubusson’s tapestry industry grew in both size and status and, 400 years on, this unassuming corner of Limousin is still at the forefront of contemporary fine art and craftsmanship.

Saint-Léonard de Noblat

Saint-Léonard de Noblat in Haute-Vienne is a small town of just 4,500 inhabitants on a hill above the Vienne valley. At its heart stands the church of St Léonard, patron saint of prisoners, whose tomb originally stood in an earlier church on the site. The current building dates from the 11^th century and is listed by UNESCO as a stopover for pilgrims on the trail to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

The small streets and pretty squares of Saint-Léonard are a delight, fringed with period properties, mostly from the 17^th and 18^th centuries when the town grew prosperous through tanning and papermaking, but look closely and you can still spot medieval arches and windows.

I stay overnight at Le Jardin des Lys, a stylish period guesthouse with a gorgeous garden right opposite the church door. English owner Andy Allen and his French wife Delphine are passionate supporters of local artists and food producers, and guests can enjoy an eclectic range of artwork plus a superb table d’hôte dinner made with flair by Delphine from fresh local produce.

The town has a foodie speciality too, the massepain, that was sold to pilgrims to fortify them on their journey. Described by local patissier and chocolate maker Vincent Coignac as the ‘energy bar of the Middle Ages’, this macaroon-style finger biscuit is crisp on the outside and scrumptiously squidgy inside, made to a traditional, top-secret recipe. Something more substantial? Sample more regional fare at the nearby Relais Saint Jacques, a member of the reliable Logis chain.

In an area blessed with both wood and water, Saint-Léonard was once surrounded by paper mills, and today this craft industry is enjoying an artisanal revival, thanks to a determined group of local volunteers at the Moulin du Got. Amongst contemporary commissions are menu sheets for restaurants flecked with tiny pieces of vegetable and even chocolate. Discover the tradition of handmade papers on a guided tour of the historic machinery; buy craft souvenirs and gifts in the mill shop; and view the latest exhibition of creative paper art.

Limousin’s artistic craftsmanship is, as it has been for centuries, one of the jewels of French cultural heritage

By Gillian Thornton, one of the UK’s leading travel writers and a regular writer for The Good Life France Magazine and website.