France – Alençon (En)

Alençon is a town in southern Normandy, and is surrounded by natural parks and bordered by the Sarthe River. It is a beautiful place. We were surprised by the castle, which you suddenly stumble upon and is quite impressive. It’s known for its lacemaking traditions, dating back to the 17th century, and for being the birthplace of Saint Therese. Also noteworthy are its 15th-century basilica and its houses with beautiful facades.

Where to stay

We stayed at the Guerame campsite (48.425929, -0.072474 long, lat) where our friends Mariana and Cor joined us. The campsite is next to the river and 10 minutes from the town centre. The staff are very friendly, with a woman who speaks Spanish and English very well. The campsite costs 14.30 euros without electricity and 18.30 euros with electricity. The pitches are very large, with plenty of room for the awning, chairs, and a table. The facilities are clean, with a dishwashing area with hot water and a washing machine for 4 euros if you want to use it. Showers have hot water but low pressure. The toilets have seats and toilet paper. There is a communal area where you can use the refrigerator and microwave, as well as table football and ping-pong. The area for filling and emptying the water is located before entering the campsite. We recommend visiting this charming town.

What to see

We walked with Mariana and Cor toward the city centre. We followed the route along the Sarthe River and passed through a beautiful park.

We arrived in the centre and the first thing we saw was the Church of Saint Leonard, which was closed, so we couldn’t see inside. We visited the surrounding neighbourhood, which is the main historic area of ​​Alençon, with buildings with beautiful facades.

Then we arrived at the square where the Notre Dame Basilica is located, dating back to the 15th century. This beautiful basilica boasts beautiful stained-glass windows and a chapel, which was named after Sainte-Thérèse de l’enfant Jesus back in 1873. You can visit the inside, which I recommend, as it is beautiful.

Then we walked through the streets of the town, had a drink with Mariana and Cor, who were celebrating their anniversary, and they invited us to lunch.

We left Mariana and Cor, and Ben and I went to see the rest of the town, where, around a corner, we came across the 11th-century Chateau d’Alençon. We loved it, and down the ramp, you come across an experimental garden.

We said goodbye to Mariana and Cor, whom we will see again in La Flèche, and we went to Le Mans, famous for its 24-hour race and for an old town which impressed us, which you can see in the next blog!