La Chapelle au Riboul is about a 20 minute walk and is a thriving village. It is situated on a crossroads midway between the large town of Mayenne (53100) in the west and the smaller town of Villaines la Juhel (53700) in the east. You can get north into the Normandy region through the town of Lassay les Chateaux or south towards Laval or Le Mans and the autoroutes or the train to Paris, Brittany and beyond very easily. It is close to the borders of the Normandy-Maine Natural Park.
Dominated by the large church at the square, the village is served by a friendly bakery open every day except Wednesday. They stock a very good selection of not only fresh breads and pastries but most food items including fresh produce and alcohol.
There is a restaurant open every weekday at midday offering a menu and is very popular. At weekends it is open in the evening and for takeaway pizza orders. Bar, coffee and tabac services are open throughout the day.
The village has two factories, one making agricultural trailers and the other metal storage hoppers. There is a garage which also sells fuel and an agricultural DIY outlet.
Whilst the bakery is useful for day to day items and delicious fresh breads, the nearest supermarkets are a drive away, the closest being in the small town of Bais (53160) heading south. Situated on the main route to Le Mans, about 10 minutes is the small ‘Carrefour Market‘ with a fuel station. It offers a wide selection of produce, much of the fresh produce being locally sourced, as well as a butcher counter service. It is open everyday including Sunday (until 12:30pm) and doesn’t shut for lunch. However the prices tend to be more expensive with a limited choice.
For a larger supermarket with better value and choice, the town of Mayenne (53100) is recommended. The ‘Hyper U‘ shop is on the edge of Mayenne about 20 minutes drive, offering easy parking and fuel station. It is open from 08:30 to 20:00 everyday and is shut on Sunday. There is also a restaurant very popular for the lunchtime menu. There is a ‘pizza kiosk’ selling pizza to order and takeaway at lunchtimes and evenings, 7 days a week, on the site. If you prefer there is a Leclerc supermarket in Mayenne, as well as a Lidl, Aldi and a small Carrefour.
The town of Mayenne offers a selection of shops, bars and restaurants each side of the river, with the chateau dominating the town high up. It is free parking by the quay. With steep roads leading high up from the river Mayenne, pleasant walks can be had in the town, the gardens next to the chateau and alongside the river. Take a stroll by the river and climb up the steps to the main town and chateau, drop in for a coffee or a beer and watch the life as you sit outside. Out of town shopping can also be found, mostly in the vicinity of ‘Hyper U’. Some shops can be shut for lunch for 2 hours at midday.
The principal departmental town of Laval (53000) is about 30 minutes south of Mayenne town and is an easy route to follow. Why not stop by at ‘Chateau de la Motte Husson‘ (53470) (‘Escape to the Chateau’, Channel 4) on the route – ok, so unless you have booked you can’t go in, but you can drive past the entrance and view the spectacular chateau they have restored.
Laval offers a mix of old and new, situated on the banks of the river Mayenne. The old town steeply leads up to the chateau through narrow streets and the beautiful gardens housing a large variety of plants and flowers of the season, with a mix of birdcages and small farm animals to view. The spectacular chateau dominates the town and you can climb up and into the roof space and look out over the town. The newer town has the selection of shops, cafes and restaurants to enjoy the French life passing by. Parking is usually easy enough down by the river and is free further down. The town is renowned for the Christmas illuminations which are always spectacular, centred around the main river crossing. Out of town shopping can be found at various locations, primarily in the west side around St Berthevin (53942) and also in the east on the outskirts at Avenue de la Communauté Européenne (53061). Both sites offer large hypermarkets and other shops with easy parking. Laval also has an indoor swimming pool offering open air pools in the summer located at ‘Aquabulle‘, Rue du Commandant Cousteau (53000). Check opening times which can be restrictive.
Locally to the house, there are stables situated just down the track from the house if you wanted to hire a horse. You will see the horses passing by the house at various times on their routes. The track west to Mayenne town takes about an hour or more to cycle. It is flat, crossing the main road at one point. Near to Mayenne, the track splits, as the railway line did, to go north towards Ambrieres les Vallees (53300), In Mayenne the track stops by a school. Most of it is undercover, but not all, so take care in the sun. The next village of Marcille la Ville offers a small multiservice shop with a bar and a separate bakery. They are open every day except Monday. The track going east towards Javron is flat towards Loupfougeres, thereafter turning more steep into the hills and more rough underfoot. It stops in Javron at the back of the town. If you intend to cycle on the roads, you must wear a helmet.
For public indoor swimming nearby, try ‘La Vague’ at Mayenne. It is on the outskirts as you enter the town on the N12. It offers lane swimming, leisure/childrens pool, flume and a pleasure pool with spa and fountains, as well as toddlers area. Pay a bit more and you can enter the adults ‘balaeno’ consisting of showers, sauna and steam rooms with an area to sit, relax, make a herbal tea or even sit outside on the terrace. Please take note of the opening times as they can be restricting, depending on the time, day and school period. Also be aware of the type of swimming costume permitted.
There is no outdoor pool here, but there are some around during the summer period, notably in Ambrieres les Vallees which is signed towards a camping area. Close to Ambrieres is a beach area on the banks of the river Mayenne at Le Bas Loze, La Haie Traversaine (53300). This area offers a selection of large inflatables out on the water. There are also more ‘voies verte’ close to Ambrieres, part of which is made over to a velo rail service (bike rail) on a stretch of track, so part of the railway still remains. This starts at Saint Loup du Gast (53300).
A short drive from the house, if you like walks, why not try the Bois de Tay, Hambers (53160). It is a hilly, forested area visible from the house and takes 5 minutes to get to, parking at the bottom or at the top where there are circular walks marked out through managed woodlands, an arboretum, an area set out for gites and communal activities and a chapel with picnic areas right at the top. There is a ‘source’ or spring situated at the entrance which is very popular with locals filling up their bottles.
Further on heading through Hambers, there is the village of Mézangers (53600), which has the ‘Chateau du Rocher‘ and as you enter the village, a lake, offering bathing from a sandy beach and a circular walk around the perimeter and through woods on well kept tracks with picnic areas, a bird hide, fishing and childrens play area. In the summer there is a bar with live music on a Sunday and evenings, with water sports and pedalos to be hired. The ‘Relais Gué de Selle‘ restaurant is well respected and next to the lake.
Jublains (53160) is a town with a large area of Roman villa and archaeological site. Some of it can be viewed for free and the rest is situated inside a museum. Going north into Lassay les Chateaux (53110), a busy little town and a walk round the chateau gardens before a coffee. The chateau is open at various times. The town leads into department Orne (61) into the Andaines towards Bagnoles de l’Orne (61140), an upmarket spa town, or towards Domfront (61700) and into ‘La Suisse Normande’ (14220), an area of outstanding Swiss-type landscape.
Going east towards Villaines la Juhel and into the Normandie-Maine Natural Park you will find the Mont des Avaloirs (53140), the highest point in western France at 417 m (1,368 ft) above sea level. There is an observation tower to climb up and enjoy the view as well as forests to explore. A little further on over the borders into Orne and Sarthe there are the scenic villages of Saint- Céneri-le-Gérei (61250) and Saint-Léonard-des-Bois (72130), on the river Sarthe and offering scenery similar to that of the alps.
Going even further afield, the city of Le Mans (Sarthe, 72000) is about 1 hour away. Stepping up the stone steps you will find a mix of old steep cobbled streets with a mix of boutiques, bars and restaurants, that lead to the cathedral and are used as a location in many films. This historic quarter is also known as the ‘Cité Plantagenêt‘ There is also a large modern centre. A huge out of town undercover shopping mall is available as you enter Le Mans outskirts, with one of the largest hypermarkets, Auchan and the usual ‘Flunch’ restaurant at the end offering good quality and value. Centre Le Mans offers a Sunday market with a wide selection of goods and foods to be found, but you have to be up early. Don’t forget the Le Mans 24 hour racing in June, as well as various classic car meets around the city. You will most likely find a selection of old vehicles travelling across for many of the rallies and meets in the area. If you are interested have a look on-line for what is being arranged.
On the road to Le Mans you pass through Sille la Guillaume (72140), a chateau town in the forests on a steep hill entering the department Sarthe. Outside of the town near the Mayenne border is the leisure lake or ‘Coco Plage‘, surrounded by pine trees, offering a sandy beach for bathing, water activities such as sailing and pedalos, a variety of bars and restaurants with a circular walk taking about an hour around the perimeter, or a land train, past the camping and mobile home areas in the woods. Free parking is available except Sunday.
South of Laval is the large town of Chateau Gontier. Also on the banks of the Mayenne there is a ‘Refuge de l’Arche‘ (53200) which is an animal rescue sanctuary, housing a variety of domestic and more exotic species which have been rescued from around the world. Amongst its collection it has a variety of apes, cats and birds as well as picnic and play areas.
St Suzanne (53270) is a pretty and historic village, south of Evron, perched high on the edge of a hill. There is a chateau with a museum to visit.
Saulges (53340) has an underground cave complex which can be visited, as well as walks through a steep gorge.
The department of Mayenne offers the largest number of chateaux per department in France and many are open to the public at particular times.
Outside of Mayenne, the city of Angers (Maine et Loire 49000) takes about 2 hours to reach offering a spectacular chateau and gardens, as well as a theme park ‘Terra Botanica‘
Across the border in the west is Fougeres (Ile et Villaines 35133) is the first town after Mayenne in Brittany, with a large chateau fortress centered in the town. Further on, St Malo (35400) will take about 2 hrs to reach. Mont St Michel (50170) is reachable in the same time. There are other various theme parks situated in the Brittany and Normandy areas.
Further away is the award winning theme park ‘Puy du Fou‘ at Les Epesses (85590). This park consists of different theatrical settings involving dynamic performances with actors, animals, props and music to a very high standard. It would be advisable to stay overnight either at the park complex or in nearby hotels to see everything on offer. There is even a full size coliseum. Near the town of Poitiers is the ‘Futuroscope‘ theme park (86360). Just off the motorway direct from Le Mans this theme park is just about possible in a day.
Paris will take up to 4 hrs. You can take the N12 route from Mayenne taking you to Alencon (40 mins) first before Paris, although the autoroute from Le Mans would be easier. Trains can be taken from the town of Evron (53600) or Sille, linking you to Le Mans. A new high speed service can be picked up in Le Mans or Laval for either Rennes (Brittany) or Paris. EuroDisney is much further than just Paris, being to the east and is recommended that you stay in the area when visiting.
The closest sea beaches for swimming would be found either around St Malo (Brittany), going into Normandy for the west coast of departments Manche (56) around Granville (50400) or the north coast of Calvados (14) towards Caen. Any of these will take up to 2 hours to reach.
