“People who don’t like the bicycle bore us, even when they don’t talk about it.”
Michel Audiard
The circuits of Monday 31 July
You will take one of the quiet roads of the Perche and discover beautiful manor houses and more recent castles. But in fact, what is the difference between a manor house and a castle? The lunch break at the manoir de Courboyer will probably enable you to answer this.
The road routes
MANOR HOUSES, CASTLES AND MORE…
When visiting the villages of Mauves, Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière, Nocé and Sérigny, you will discover old municipal wash-houses, and places full of history such as the Ecomuseum of the Perche, the manors of Lormarin or Courboyer. In Préaux-du-Perche, the stained glass windows of the church, dedicated to the French troops of the 1st World War, will surely impress you, as will the passage under the porch of Bellême, classified as a "Little Town of Character®" and the view over its golf course. In Préaux, Bellême and Réveillon, ''Country Cafés'' will enable you to taste local ciders.
5 circuits of 45, 64, 97, 122 or 148 km to choose from
• Departure: Km 0, Place de la République
• Lunch and reception points in Bellême and the Parc de Courboyer
The mountain bike trail
RIDE THROUGH THE BELLÊME FOREST
Each circuit will test the rider's endurance, technique and taste for adventure! On the programme: forest trails in the splendid forest of Bellême, discovering its classified trees, paths on the edge of the forest and in the countryside, combining pleasure, navigation and discovery.
3 circuits of 30 - 40 or 60 km to choose from
• Appointment at 9 am in Bellême
Discovery cycle rides
A TRIP BETWEEN STONES & IRON IN THE THYMERAIS COUNTRYSIDE
Let yourself be guided by the splendours of the Thymerais country. This region of the Perche alternates plateaux, forests and valleys, and takes its name from the Merovingian prince, Theodemer, to whom it was awarded in the VIIth century. Do you want to hear the chaotic history of the Ferté-Vidame castle? Its imposing vestiges still bear witness to this! In connection with the local industrial heritage, you will also be invited into the workshop of the metal sculptor Alexandre Dellatre.
A 45 km trail in Thymerais country
• Departure at 8 am from La Ferté-Vidame
• Stops: Ruins of Ganes, picnic in Moussonvilliers, Miderai castle
• Visits: Workshop of Alexandre Delattre (sculptor), Brotz castle, La Borde castle
Pedestrian excursions
Discover a picturesque forest trail, featuring the Etang de la Herse and its miraculous fountain. Built around 1770 by Geoffroy, Grand Master of the Eaux et Forêts of the Generalitat of Alençon as part of the construction of the road from Mortagne to Bellême, the site consists of two popular places to walk: the spring, known since antiquity for its ferruginous water, and the pond with its beautiful reflections. In all seasons, a walk alongside the water is very peaceful and you may also be lucky enough to find the treasures of the undergrowth: ceps, russula, amanita, and other mushrooms are legion here with more than four hundred listed species!
A choice of two circuits:
Le camp de Bruyères > 8.7 km
La Pierre des Druides > 8 km
Appointment at 9 am at the Etang de la Herse
Coach excursions
GETAWAY INTO THE ALPES MANCELLES
In the morning, with your guide-lecturer, you will discover the picturesque sites of the Alpes Mancelles and visit one of the most beautiful villages of France, Saint-Céneri-le-Gerei, nicknamed "the village of painters". After lunch, a trip to Sillé-le-Guillaume, aboard the river boat Silius, will enable you to discover a 110-acre lake nestled in the heart of the forest of Sillé. You will then embark on the famous little tourist train of Sillé Plage, that takes you through the forest along the languishing contours of the lake.
• Departure at 9 am from the car park rue Montcanune
• 10 am: Guided tour of the Alpes Mancelles
• 12 am: Free time for lunch
• 2 pm: Ride through Sillé-le-Guillaume by boat and small train
• Day ending around 5:30 pm and return to Mortagne
CYCLE MUSEUM & MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS AND LACE IN ALENÇON
Begin this day at the Cycle Museum and discover the history of cycling competitions from 1890 to the present day through films, documents, bikes, famous jerseys etc. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the great races, the caravan or the “tour” and the champions who have marked the history of cycling. In the afternoon, the Museum of Fine Arts and Lace in Alençon will charm you with the variety of” its collections and the quality of its lace. The “Alençon needle lace-making, classified in the inventory of UNESCO Cultural Heritage, occupies a special place alongside bobbin or machine-made laces of the French, Belgian and Italian schools.
• Departure at 9 am from the car park rue Montcacune
• 10 am : Guided tour of the Cycle Museum “La Belle Echappée” at Fresnaye-sur-Chedouet
• 12 am : Free time for lunch
• 2 pm: Guided tour of the Museum of Fine Arts and Lace in Alençon
• Day ending around 5 pm and return to Mortagne