On your holiday travels, the charm of the heavenly region of Perche will convince you you’ve made the right choice. Taking things slow, explore in a spirit of peace and love! And why not add a trendy vintage touch to your Orne road trip? Here are 3 itinerary suggestions for you to mix and match at will.
MANSIONS & TRADITIONS ITINERARY
Set off for an 87km nature-and-heritage discovery trip. Home to the Regional Nature Park Centre, the 15th-century Courboyer Manor is one of the biggest in Perche. Explore the estate’s 60 hectares of grounds by following the interpretative trail before taking the road towards Corbon, stopping to see the Vove Manor and enjoy a ride in a carriage drawn by Percheron horses at the Absoudière farm. In the heart of the countryside, Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière appears in the distance. Sainte Gauburge Priory and Ecomuseum have a few pleasant surprises in store, and you can prolong your visit with a bite to eat at the restaurant Après l’Ecole, or a bucolic walk near the elegant Manor of Angenardière.
MILLS & VALLEYS ITINERARY
Your adventure begins at Rémalard in the Petite Rochelle Gardens. Take the time to observe the beauty of the flowers that bloom in spring, or the bright ocre tones of autumn. Close by, in Monceaux-au-Perche, enter the Pontgirard gardens via Allée des Cornouillers.
This 62km itinerary winds its way through 3 picturesque valleys including one formed by the River Huisne that flows tranquilly below the hamlet of Villeray. You’ll never get tired of wandering amid this modest ensemble of incredible charm, daydreaming non-stop and imagining the life of yesteryear. At the Domaine de Villeray, you can even have lunch at the mill and admire the ancient waterwheel, or treat yourself to some deep relaxation at the Pom Spa which, as the name suggests (pomme = apple), proposes treatments based on apple, the local star.
FORESTS & ABBEYS ITINERARY
From your VW camper straight out of the seventies, watch the Perche landscape unfurl along this 82km trip into another era. Your first stop is in the characterful village of Mortagne-au-Perche where cosy places offer a taste of the French way of life. Then head for La Chapelle-Montligeon where you’ll find sanctuary in the amazing Notre-Dame basilica in the middle of the countryside.
The local must-do is a magnificent oak wood to be found in the forest of Réno-Valdieu, in the heart of the Nature Park. After this breath of fresh air, stop off at “Chez Nous Campagne” in Bubertré, a timeless place where you can drink tea and hunt for deco items and bric-a-brac in the shop occupying the outbuldings of a 17th-century priory.
With or without a VW camper van
