Places of Interest

There are many opportunities near and more distant for an exciting vacation in France connected to your time at the Retreat, so why not extend your stay?

Our venue, Sous Carelles, is in the Mayenne region of France, west of Paris, and close to Britanny, Normandy and the Loire Valley. Mayenne is a beautiful pastoral area, full of small towns and villages, many with a picturesque castle, chateau or manor house. The towns of Fougères and Ernée are close and engaging. Fougères has a bustling Saturday market that offers everything from fresh produce to clothing to live chickens, all with a French accent! Fougères also has a lakeside sandy beach within its forest that is popular with bathers and families.

Britanny with the ancient town of Dinan is an easy drive, as is the isle of Mont St. Michel with its stunning abbey. The D-day beaches of Normandy might be an important place to visit for those of you who had family members in World War II, and this location is easily accessible as an extension to your stay. Of course, the Loire valley with its spectacular chateaux is a must if you haven’t seen them before. The town of Chartres with the only remaining medieval cathedral in France complete with labyrinth is only a 2 ½ hour drive by car from Carelles. The area around our Retreat is dotted with many smaller and less well known castles and grand houses, and we can certainly point you in the right direction during your stay with us. Further south, you can drive about 4 hours and be in the wonderful area of Cognac where the Hennessy factory is based.

Below are listed a few of the sites you could see, but we would encourage you to check web travel sites such as www.frommers.com/destinations/france/ and http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/france_menu.htm

or go to your favorite book store and find the travel guide that best suits your travel style.

Dinan: www.dinan-tourisme.com

Mont St. Michel: www.montsaintmichel.com

Chartres: www.chartres-tourisme.com (the Labyrinth is open on Fridays).

Hennessy tour: http://www.hennessy-cognac.com/visiting/tour.asp
The Loire Valley:

Chateau de Chambord www.chambord.org

Chateau de Chenonceaux
www.chenonceaux.com

Clos du Bois www.vinci-closluce.com

Normandy Beach Tours (book ahead):

Honfleur -- a good town to start at or
use for base http://en.ot-honfleur.fr/