35 km

Mayenne1

Mayenne2

Mayenne3

Mayenne is a curiosity of France – both a town, a river which runs through it and the Department created on March 4 1790 by the French Revolution, The town lies in Pays de la Loire, surrounded by gently rolling farming countryside, charming towns and historic ruins. The area is acknowledged as one of the prettiest regions of France, well worth the 2 to 3 hour drive from Cherbourg

_{(Taken from Wikipedia – “ diversity of habitat types such as forest, heathland, bog and farmland. Some 1445 species of plants, 63 species of mammals, 280 species of birds, 16 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles have been recorded, as well as thousands of species of invertebrates.”)}

Chateaux and cafes in Mayenne

Famously, Chateau de la Motte Husson is not far away (featured on UK TV) – about 6km to the South. of the town there is the 10th century Chateau de Mayenne, fortified in the 13th century, which is probably best viewed from the riverside carpark on the East side, In the small town centre is the Basilica de Notre Dame built in 1100 and the Romanesque Eglise de Saint Martin.

When we travelled there quite some time ago, we enjoyed the cafe scene in the little square above the town (photo above) and sought directions to the hamlet of Ger from the proprietrix. Within minutes, 5 ladies were all helping us and that is a measure of how wonderfully friendly and helpful the people of France are in general.

Market days are Monday and Saturday.