The local area
For those guests who would like to explore the wonderful rolling countryside, they are spoilt for choice. The medieval town of Domfront is 5km away, with shops, supermarkets and restaurants, and hosts a medieval festival in the town every August. It is a medieval gem, with quaint lanes, half timbered houses and a ruined castle where Henry 11 and envoys of Archbishop Thomas a Becket thrashed out their differences.
Travel 9km north, and you will find Lonlay l’Abbaye, the abbey church founded as part of a Benedictine monastery, in the 11th century, it has a fine romanesque transept, and a 15th century porch. A visit to the Biscuiterie de l’Abbaye to sample the sables de l’Abbaye is a must.
La Fosse Arthour, with it’s lake and woodland walks,is a delight for birdwatching, walking, rock climbing and horse riding.
The picturesque village of St Fraimbault holds a perpetual flower show, every summer,and has over 8,000 sq metres of flowerbeds.
The old fashioned town of Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, set around a lake amid pretty forests is still as sedate as was in the 1870’s, when Europe’s wealthy came in search of it’s healing waters.
La Ferte-Mace attracts French gourmets for it’s celebrated tripes en brochette (tripe grilled on skewers). Thursday is market day and farmers bring their calvados and boudin noir from suurounding villages.
In summer locals and visitors head for it’s man made lake to swim, sail, windsurf, play golf or ride in the surrounding woods.
The Musee de Jouet (toy museum) has an intriguing collection of 19th and 20th century toys, games, electric trains and musical instruments.
The picturesque village of St Ceneri-le-Gerei, perched above a hairpin bend, could almost be in the English Cotswolds. Numerous painters are attracted here, as it is named one of the prettiest villages in France.
Carrouges, northwest of Alencon, boasts a very pretty square, a good range of shops, restaurants and a grand chateau. The Maison des Metiers (craft centre) sells handicrafts and local produce. The park has a total of2500km of signposted paths.
Le Haras National du Pin, France’s official national stud farm, is in the heart of Normandy’s most important horse breeding region. Horses are bred, raced and buried here, and on summer Thursday evenings, they parade with carriages to music around the impressive courtyard of the grand chateau with it’s immaculate grounds.
Falaise town with it’s dramatic castle, remains one of the best examples of medieval military architecture in France. In the town centre is the Automates Avenue-Musee des Automates, that houses automata, made over many decades for the window displays of Parisian department stores. A heartwarming fun museum. Falaise has it’s war museum, in an old cheese factory.
Eisenhower described Falaise as "One of the biggest slaughter fields a war sector ever knew".
Alencon escaped much of the destruction that ravaged nearby cities in 1944, retaining the medieval charm of sandstone and half timbered mansions, quaint streets and waterways.
Alencon is famous for it’s lace making tradition, dating back to the 17th century. The National Needlepoint Workshop is home to 11 remaining ladies who have perfected the art of Point d’Alencon, needlepoint lace. It takes around 30 hours to produce a pice of lace the size of a postage stamp.
The Musee de Dentelle, once a lace making school, displays lace from all over Europe.
The awe inspiring Mont St Michel frequented by artists, novelists, religious visionaries and pilgrims, holds the honour of being the most isited site in France outside Paris.
There is much more to Normandy, than it’s D day beaches, World War 11 cemetries, Bayeaux Tapestry and Monet’s house and dazzling garden.
Normandy is the land of the apple, transformed into cider, or rich cream drenched puddings. Calvados, said to be the tipple of the gods, must be sampled.
There are countless gastronomic wonders to discover, from pungent cheeses, fresh oysters, boudin noir sausage and the celebrated tripe dishes.
A visit to Normandy would not be complete without visiting the many wonderful, artistic chocolatieres
La Fosse Roger is the perfect spot for discovering Normandy and surrounding areas, for a stop over when travelling south, for a quiet relaxing break, or for house hunting in the region
