Situated pretty much in the centre of France, this is the most easterly part of Nouvelle Aquitaine. Limousin is known as France Profonde and is commonly referred to as ‘the land where time stood still’. It’s large number of lakes has also earned it the title of ‘the Lake District of France’ and, of course, it is the home of the lovely russet brown cows that we see so often in our fields in the U.K. However, none of this alone seems to explain why so many Brits have chosen to buy their French house in Limousin! When you realise the ease of access from the UK with its large quantity of flights arriving from the U.K., the mild climate and the exceedingly low property prices with lots of renovation projects still for sale, you can begin to get the picture of the appeal of Limousin. It is a combination of all of these factors which makes so many people buy property in Limousin.

There are three departments in Limousin, Haute Vienne being the one in the north west and the one in which the capital, Limoges, is situated. Creuse is over to the east and is the most rural, in the days of phone directories it was proud to boast that it had the thinnest of all French phone directories! Correze lies to the south and borders Dordogne. Each department is a joy and would be a good place to buy a French property but for me, living with reasonably easy access to Limoges for the occasional sortie into city life and easy airport access enabled me to really enjoy a rural lifestyle while not feeling totally cut off from the outside

Scenically, the rolling countryside of Limousin consists of meadows, woods, rivers and lakes interspersed with pretty hamlets and flower-filled villages. It is typically very rural but one is never far away from a small bustling market town. There are many picturesque riverside towns and the larger cultural centre of Limoges, famous for its porcelain industry, is a good place for shopping, museums and culture. Just about every village and town has a weekly market and seasonal produce is always reflected in the menus of the numerous, small local restaurants. Buying a house in Limousin is buying into a gentle and unsophisticated lifestyle. In your new property in Limousin your social life is likely to revolve around aperitifs with friends and neighbours, trips to the market, tending your garden and the occasional visit to English or French speaking films, a concert, opera or ballet. Come the hot days of summer, swimming in the many rivers and lakes or lazing in the garden is a must, probably followed by a barbecue under the starry night sky. Life is slow, neighbours are warm and welcoming and it will not be unusual to find gifts of fresh fruit and vegetables and newly laid eggs on your doorstep.

The joy of life in Limousin is that, for so many people, although it may be more rural than that which they have been used to in the U.K., it is the one they recall from their childhood or the one they have always dreamt of. There is a sense of ‘coming home’ when you arrive here. In Limousin you will be valued for who you are, how you interact with your neighbours, how you join in the community, rather than what you own. There is a pride amongst those who live off the land and if you are prepared to share their love of the countryside they will become lifelong friends. For anyone wanting to immerse themselves in a traditional way of life there can be nowhere better to look for French property than the region of Limousin, now renamed Nouvelle Aquitaine.