We are in the heart of the Mayenne countryside, surrounded by farms, woodland, lakes, streams and abundant wildlife. There is no proper public transport, so you will need a car if you want to see more than the very local area. It's the perfect place to explore the Pays de la Loire, with its stunning castles and medieval architecture, or travel into Normandy for an entirely different experience.

Click here to find us in Google Maps.

Nous sommes au cœur de la campagne mayennaise, entouré de fermes, de forêts, de lacs, de ruisseaux et avec une faune abondante. Il n'ya pas de transport public approprié, vous aurez donc besoin d'une voiture si vous voulez voir plus de la zone très locale. C'est l'endroit idéal pour explorer la Pays de la Loire, avec ses magnifiques châteaux et l'architecture médiévale, ou voyager en Normandie pour une expérience entièrement différente.

Tapez ici pour nous trouver dans Google Maps.

Local attractions / attractions locales

If you don’t know the area, the following are just a few of the larger attractions you can visit while staying at Jouet – see also the tourist information sites at the bottom of the entries for more ideas. Many of them have English translations – look for a button with ‘EN’ or a British Union flag.

Si vous ne connaissez pas la région, voici quelques-unes des plus grandes attractions que vous pouvez visiter pendant votre séjour à Jouet - voir aussi les sites d'information touristique au bas des entrées pour plus d'idées. Certains sont en anglais ici mais ont aussi des traductions en français.

Times are approximate, and dependent on traffic (of which we don’t get much, but you might be delayed by a few minutes behind the odd tractor)!

Les temps sont approximatifs, et dépendent de la circulation (dont nous ne voyons pas beaucoup, mais vous pourriez être retardé de quelques minutes derrière un tracteur)!

Je n'ai pas entièrement traduit cette page en français, mais vous constaterez que la plupart des sites Web sont en français et, dans le cas contraire, il y a un bouton pour passer de l'anglais au français. Je vais traduire des entrées en anglais quand j'aurai le temps, mais j'espère que c'est OK pour l'instant!

≤ 30 minutes  (30 km) by car / en voiture:

Jublains (17 km ) – Roman archeological site and museum
• Temple (built in 66 CE to replace the old Gallic wooden temple from 450 BCE)
• Fortress (guided tours available)
• Roman baths with light show and narration
• Museum with audio-visual, interactive terminals, models and audio guides in English, French or German
• Theatre (now used for concerts and other events)
Jublains museum website

Mayenne (21 km) – Beautiful old town with a great castle overlooking the river, guided tours available from the tourist office
• The Chapel of the Calvairiennes – the last remaining part of an enormous 17th-century convent. Now used for exhibitions.
• The 11th century red granite Church of Saint Martin
• The Basilica of Notre Dame, dating from the 12th, 16th and 19th centuries, and its statue of La Vierge des Miracles.
• Kayaking on the river Mayenne
• Markets and brocantes (second-hand and antique shops/markets)
Mayenne website

Lassay Les Châteaux (22 km) – An enchanting town to wander around, with many cafes and restaurants to quench thirst and quell hunger. A fabulous day or half day out
• Several castles
• Rose garden and medieval garden
• Two beautiful lakes
• Weekly market
• Old outdoor wash house
• Cider museum
Lassay website

St-Loup-du-Gast (28 km) – Vélorail (like a pedalo but on disused railway lines!) through typical Mayennaise countryside – up to 4 people on one vehicle
St-Loup website

Fontaine-Daniel (28 km) – Small textile-producing village with picture-perfect houses built for the workers in the 18th century when the abbey was sold off as a national asset and became a mill
Fontaine-Daniel website

Sainte Suzanne (29 km) – The town that William the Conqueror never conquered – stunning medieval walled town with lovely walks and antique shops
Ste Suzanne website

Bagnoles de l’Orne (30 km) – a really pretty thermal spa town built around the turn of the 20th century in almost Swiss style architecture (the area is often known as Swiss Normandy), with Belle Epoque villas, Art Deco-inspired church and casino, 9-hole golf course, swimming pool, arboretum and tennis courts
Bagnoles website

Sillé le Guillaume (30 km) – Smallish town with Sillé-plage, a great activity centre for kids with supervised swimming lake and beach, lots of water and other sports, camping and restaurants
Sillé website

≤ 60 minutes (30-75 km) by car / en voiture: 

Thorigné-en-Charnie (42 km) – Grottes et Canyon de Saulges – prehistoric caves and canyon carved by the river Erve 
Grottes and canyon website

St.Pierre sur Erve (46 km) – Small but perfectly formed, a place of pilgrimage since the middle ages, with many beautiful religious buildings
St. Pierre website

Domfront (47 km) – 11th century medieval town with calvados distillery, great castle ruins, manor houses, churches and chapels medieval banquets, spectacles of various kinds and markets
Domfront website

Laval (50 km) – Civic centre of Mayenne, and beautiful city with castle and modern art gallery, convent, adventure park and cruise boat
Laval website

La Pellerine (55 km) – 2 hectares of intimate, formal gardens
La Pellerine website

Le Mans (64 km) – Racetrack, museums, circus, theatre and other cultural events
Le Mans website

Château Gontier (69 km) – 1000-year old city with winding streets, heritage sites, theatre and other events. Featured in the 100 places in the guide "Plus Beaux Détours de France" (most beautiful destinations in France)
Château Gontier website

Fougères (70 km) – Medieval city with one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe. Open to the public. Some amazing ‘trompe l’oeil’ wall paintings in the town, clocks and watches museum, glass workshop, art galleries and museums
Fougères website

Bellefontaine  (75 km) – Abbey still in use but open to visitors, and Le Village Enchanté, amusement park for children of 2+, including water rides, wire (Tyrolienne), bouncy castles and pony rides
Bellefontaine Abbey website

Le Village Enchanté website

≤120 minutes  (75-150 km) by car / en voiture:

Craon (81 km) – pretty town with beautiful building, medieval fortress, horse racing and a secret garden 
Craon website 

Chenillé-Changé (89 km) – visit a working water mill, now producing electricity as well as flour!
Chenillé-Changé website

Bayeux (97 km) – the tapestry, of course, but it’s also a fantastic town with a gorgeous cathedral and medieval heritage. Also the first town to be liberated in WW2, so fantastic celebrations for the D-day landings each year…
Bayeux website

Normandy beaches (100-120 km) – it’s a lovely drive either on the way here or on your way back to the UK to go via the coastal route and stop off at the Normandy beaches, especially when the commemorations are taking place, which they do every year.
Normandy beaches website

Villedieu les Poêles (104 km) – 12th century town founded by the Knights Hospitaller of St. John, with granite architecture, cobbled passageways, museums of Norman furniture, copper pans and lacework, and Zoo Champrepus; zoo and botanical park
Villedieu website

Zoo Champrepus website

Mont St. Michel (113 km) – the famous hilltop town and monastery with winding path up to the top via various art and craft shops (see also Avranches, where there is a museum of ancient manuscripts from Mont St. Michel). Also Alligator Bay, a reptile park (including white alligators)
Mont St. Michel website

Alligator bay website

Angers (116 km) – Castle, Cathedral and Cointreau distillery (just outside Angers itself), and Terra Botanica, an amazing botanical park with children’s rides, animations and 4D film show
Angers website

Terra Botanica website

Le Lude (124 km) – Château du Lude – One of the great castles of the Loire, which the present owners open to the public. Grand gardens and a historic range of architecture, including an amazing painted room
Le Lude website

Caen (137 km) – ferry port, castle, abbey, burial place of William the Conqueror
Caen website

A bit further afield, but for your information, and may be useful for travelling arrangements:

Un peu plus loin, mais pour votre information, et peut être utile pour les arrangements de voyage: