DK Travel : Normandy : Southern Normandy : Places of interest

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Domfront

Perched above the Varenne Gorge, with open views over the pear orchards of the Passais bocage , the ramparts and towers are evidence of the town’s turbulent history.
Ecomusée du Moulin de la Sée, Brouains

Admire the giant waterwheel that drove the machinery of this former paper mill on the River Sée.
Haras National du Pin

You don’t have to be a horse lover to be impressed by the style and splendour of the national stud, a “Versailles for horses” founded by Colbert in the mid-17th century with the approval of the Sun King himself. Colbert commissioned Pierre Le Mousseux, a protégé of Mansart, to design it. At the end of a long, grassy ride carved through the surrounding woods, the main château and two elegant stable blocks (now housing exhibits) enclose a horseshoe-shaped courtyard known as Colbert’s Court, the scene of horse and carriage displays on Thursday afternoons in summer. There are guided tours of the forge, tack room and stables, where some 100 stallions are kept at stud.
La Ferme du Cheval de Trait, Juvigny-sous-Andaine

See horse-drawn agricultural equipment, a miniature farm, a forge, and displays by Percheron draughthorses on this farm.
La Maison du Camembert, Camembert

Dedicated to Normandy’s famous cheese, with a reconstruction of an old production plant.
La Palais de la Miniature, Verneuil-sur-Arve

In Claude Alexandre’s fascinating world of miniature soldiers, each figure is hand-crafted.
Le Perche

Still relatively unknown, this area is famous for its powerful Percheron horses and its manors. Perche manors are quite different from typical cosy, half-timbered Norman farmhouses; they are much more defensive buildings of stone, embellished with turrets and towers. The surrounding countryside is gentle, with undulating hills, dense forest and lush valleys. Grazing Percherons add an air of serenity. Chief among its seductive villages and small towns are Mortagne and Bellême (see Mortagne-au-Perche).
L’Aigle

Traditionally a metalworking area, the town plays host each Tuesday to Normandy’s biggest market. St Martin’s church and the château are both worth a visit.
Mont-St-Michel

Despite being the most photographed sight in France, the ethereal beauty of this vast abbey can still take your breath away.
Mortagne-au-Perche

Sometime regional capital, and an excellent historic base for exploring, this bustling hill-top town is famous for its black pudding.