Travel France - Mayenne
Rolling green fields dotted with languidly grazing cattle stretch for as far as the eye can see; knots of woodland string across the gently undulating countryside and farmers drive along the very straight, very practical roads, going about their business. Mayenne is a working rural idyll where farming is the principal industry and going to market is more work than it is pleasure. With acres of unspoilt verdure, it is little surprise that this is home to dairy specialist Président – of butter and cheese fame – and Babybel, or that some say there are more cattle than people.
The department of Mayenne falls within the jurisdiction of the Pays-de-la-Loire region. However, bordering as it does both Normandy and Brittany, culture, tradition and countryside share and spill between all three regions to produce a department with an identity all of its own.
Mayenne (pronounced my-enne) is more or less an upended rectangle in shape and the eponymous river centrally dissects the department from north to south. Zig-zagging your way top to bottom will take you seamlessly from Breton crêpes and Norman cider to Loire valley châteaux and wine country. The one constant is the rolling green countryside, inhabited by mild-mannered cattle, which is waiting to be explored in peace and tranquillity away from hordes of holidaymakers.
The village of Lassay-les-Châteaux lies in the far northern reaches of the department, to the east of the river and just a stone’s throw from the Norman border. It is no great surprise then to find that this too is cider country or to discover that it is here that Gérard and Huguette Le Royer produce AOC Calvados and AOC Calvados Domfrontais from their family-run domaine just outside the village.
On site is the Musée du Cidre, a tour of which provides an intriguing look back at cider making through the centuries. The somewhat crude but wonderfully effective old tools on display are the result of M. Le Royer’s personal collection that got a little out of hand. A timely decision was made to share these forgotten treasures with others and so, in 1989, the Musée du Cidre came into being. Mme Le Royer conducts personal tours around the small-scale museum and rounds things off with a little dégustation.
The 18-hectare estate produces both cider and perry (poiré) as well as a selection of delicious apple- and pear-based apéritifs and digestifs. The AOC Calvados is, of course, distilled cider whereas the AOC Calvados Domfrontais is a mixture of distilled cider and distilled perry. For something a little lighter, try the Douceur du Poiré, a heady mix of perry and Calvados, or Pommeau de Normandie, Calvados diluted with cider. You won’t leave empty handed.
The tiny village of Lassay-les-Châteaux itself is a haven of greenery and scenery. One of its three châteaux is open to the public and stands poised over a small lake surrounded by laden green boughs and picture-perfect houses. Wander the narrow village streets and you will soon come across the Jardin Médiéval with a fine view over the château or the beautifully decadent Rose Garden. The house façades are neat and well preserved and the rounded local granite stones are fitted together with creamy cement to stand the test of time. It’s a delightful village in which to easily lose an hour or two.
Verdant backdrop
Some 20km due south of Lassay, and still east of the river, lies Jublains with its remarkable Roman ruins. The Roman town was built upon an important Gaulish sanctuary and provided a stopping point for travellers to the coast or towns such as Le Mans and Tours. Today, there are considerable remains of a Roman fortress, temple and theatre as well as baths found under the church.
The best place to start a visit is at the Musée Départemental d’Archéologie that adjoins the Roman fortress. The museum showcases the remarkable artefacts unearthed during the excavations, some pre-dating the Roman Empire by 300 years, and provides sufficient grounding to go off and independently explore the town’s treasures.
The grid pattern of the original Roman roads is marked out on today’s streets in contrasting stone and the entire site has been sophisticatedly preserved. Should you visit in summer, be sure to get hold of a programme of events for the theatre. The outdoor amphitheatre is a great spot benefiting from the luscious and verdant backdrop of the Mayenne countryside.
The town of Évron, 12km southeast of Jublains, is most noteworthy for its basilica. The imposing monument studs the horizon for some distance but, stepping inside, it is the church’s architecture that is most striking. An eleventh-century Romanesque nave gives way to a flamboyant Gothic transept with a clear dividing line ensuring a preserved purity of both styles. Romanesque solidity and simplicity offset the Gothic opulence perfectly and vice versa. Through a large door off the north side of the ambulatory is the remarkable twelfth-century Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-l’Épine. The embellished chapel carries its original frescoes as well as four Aubusson tapestries. Should you visit Évron on a Thursday, you will step out into a bustling market town with local farmers selling their surplus produce from cheese and dairy produce to fruit, veg and flowers.
One of the highlights of the department has to be the medieval town of Ste-Suzanne, found halfway down the department at Mayenne’s eastern border. Occupying a rocky promontory, the town commands inspiring views over the local land and, upon entering its walls, you will find yourself inexplicably drawn to the town’s fine château-fort.
This hill-top fortified town stoically resisted invasion from William the Conqueror until, after three long years, the latter was forced to admit defeat and retreat from his nearby camp with his tail between his legs. Standing atop the semi-ruined thick walls of the château-fort, watched over by the hardy Roman donjon or living quarters, it is not hard to see why.
Narrow streets wind off from the main square and, in summer, don’t be surprised to find the past brought to life with theatrical re-enactments. Here, the architecture begins to change and alongside medieval half-timbered houses, you will find the soft grey stone houses of the north sitting next to creamy tufa stone and slate-roofed houses so typical of the Loire valley to the south.
Ste-Suzanne is a charming little town that is not only a pleasure to explore but also lovely to look at. A short drive towards Torcé-Viviers brings you to a secluded wooded picnic spot that offers unrivalled views of the town and the Erve valley below. Relish the peacefulness over some fresh crusty bread, a local cheese or pâté and some sweet and shiny tomatoes before setting off on a gentle sign-posted walk along the valley.
Equally arresting are the prehistoric caves at Saulges, 15km downstream. There are two caves that can be visited with a guide: la Grotte à Margot is easily accessible and enters into the rock at ground level while la Grotte de Rochefort leads you 15 metres deep into the ground. The natural park that surrounds them means you can lose yourself in the legend of Margot or marvel at the mysteries of Rochefort and step out from the cool, damp air into the bright green countryside of this secret spot. Try your hand at rock climbing to counterbalance your descent into the caves or just reacclimatise with a marked nature trail exploring the local flora and fauna.
Landscaped park
Crossing the Mayenne river to its western side in the southern half of the department, you find yourself in undiluted Loire Valley country.
The Musée Robert Tatin at Cossé-le-Vivien makes for an interesting detour. This twentieth-century artist’s sculptures are showcased in a landscaped park and the naïve and almost tribal works capture the imagination of both children and adults. Driving south on one of the many ruler-straight roads, you will come upon Craon, a pretty market town in possession of a fine and elegant eighteenth-century château. The 42-hectare grounds are immaculate and even a cursory romp round is a must if you pass through.
It is undoubtedly the Mayenne that provides the lifeblood of the department and yet, because it has largely passed under the tourist radar, the towpath or chemin de halage is the quieter cousin of the more famous Loire.
Discover the river on horseback, foot or bicycle from the towpath or get even closer and hire a boat to follow its languorous route from a different perspective.
Bikes can be hired from points along the river and the tourist office can arrange accommodation and baggage transfers to make a long weekend out of it. Miles of gently meandering gravel paths reach before you; cycle through cool dappled tree-lined stretches before breaking into bright sunlight and open green fields, stopping at will to soak up the views or for a spot of lunch.
Whatever your means of transport, three main towns provide stopping points along the length of the river. Château-Gontier is the furthest south, Laval, the departmental capital, is the epicentre and then the town of Mayenne is the most northerly of the three.
There is a certain resonance between the three towns as all three have a central vieux pont, or old bridge, that rises sharply in a Roman-straight line up the west bank into the old town. Their symmetry is quite something and each has its own remarkable architecture to differentiate it from its neighbour.
Northerly Mayenne’s claim on your affections is its riverside château, one of the primary examples of tenth-century civil architecture in Europe. A wooden structure was in place on the site from as early as the eighth century and in recent years it has undergone extensive archeological digs and restoration and will be open to the public in 2008. Until 1936, the château was used as the town prison and the museum charts its life, and that of the town, from its origins to the present day.
Rewarding view
The narrow streets of Laval’s old town, perched overlooking the majestic Mayenne river, are quintessentially French and a rewarding view is afforded from the eastern river quays. Half-timbered bistros nestle up against eighteenth-century town houses and, as with all of these riverside towns, a château stands guard on the western bank. Laval’s château, as well as giving itself over to the public for guided visits, also houses a substantial collection of naïve paintings. The Musée d’Art Naïf is in part homage to Laval-born Henri Rousseau, the archetype of the modern naïve artist.
The most southerly of the three main towns astride the Mayenne is Château-Gontier. The vast and impressive seventeenth-century convent, Les Ursulines, is today a creative centre housing a school of music and dance. The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste dating from the eleventh century, is another of the town’s key monuments.
Thursday is market day in Château-Gontier and, should you be game enough, the age-old marché aux veaux, or cattle market, begins at 8am sharp. A deafening claxon marks the official start of the proceedings and sales of the tufty-haired, bright-eyed young cattle set EU-wide prices.
The market is noisy and charged but later, stepping from the everyday life of a Mayennais farmer out into a picture-perfect market town, the department itself is defined: a true working rural idyll that is utterly unspoilt.