Mayenne: Laval, Sainte-Suzanne and an Undiscovered Corner of France

Mayenne is the best-kept secret of the Pays de la Loire. This quiet département, crossed by the river that shares its name, unfolds a landscape of rolling hedgerows, small towns of character and unspoilt natural sites far removed from tourist crowds. Laval surprises with its medieval old town and its passion for naive art. Sainte-Suzanne enchants with its hilltop ramparts. The Saulges caves plunge visitors into prehistory. Here the pace slows, and deep rural France reveals itself in all its generous simplicity.

Laval: A Town of Art and History

The Vieux-Château and the Naive Art Museum

Perched on a rocky spur above the Mayenne river, the Vieux-Château de Laval is an impressive fortified complex blending an 11th-century Romanesque keep with a Renaissance residence. It houses the Musée d'Art naïf et d'Arts singuliers (~5 EUR), one of the most important naive art museums in the world. The collection of more than 3,000 works pays tribute to Henri Rousseau (Le Douanier Rousseau), a native of Laval, with several of his paintings on display. Exuberantly colourful canvases, folk sculptures and outsider art create a joyful, offbeat journey that contrasts delightfully with the solemnity of the medieval setting.

Practical tip: the museum is compact but rich. Allow around 1 hour 30 minutes for a thorough visit. Access to the ramparts provides a fine view over the river and the slate rooftops of the old town.

The Old Town and the Pont-Vieux

Medieval Laval reveals itself through unhurried wandering. The Pont-Vieux, a hump-backed 13th-century bridge, is one of the oldest bridges in France still in daily use. From its arches, the view of half-timbered houses reflected in the Mayenne is a living postcard. The Grande-Rue, the main street of the medieval quarter, lines up Renaissance facades, carved doorways and hidden inner courtyards.

The Cathédrale de la Trinité, whose Romanesque portal contrasts with a Gothic nave, is worth a stop for its stained glass and its Baroque altarpiece. Higher up the hill, steep lanes lead to shaded little squares where time feels suspended.

The Bateau-Lavoir Saint-Julien

Moored on the Mayenne, the Bateau-Lavoir Saint-Julien is the last working washboat in France. This unusual vessel, classified as a historic monument, can be visited free of charge and bears witness to an era when washerwomen came down to the river to do their laundry. A small museum tells their story and that of navigation on the Mayenne.

The Espace Alain Gerbault

Laval is also the birthplace of Alain Gerbault, the first Frenchman to sail solo across the Atlantic in 1923. The Espace Alain Gerbault (free) retraces this maritime adventure through documents, photographs and personal objects belonging to the navigator.

Sainte-Suzanne: The Pearl of Maine

The Medieval Citadel

Classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France and carrying the Petite Cité de Caractère label, Sainte-Suzanne occupies a rocky promontory overlooking the Erve valley. Its ramparts, which withstood a siege by William the Conqueror in 1083, encircle a maze of cobbled lanes, granite houses and hidden gardens. Walking the ramparts (free) provides a spectacular panorama over the Mayenne bocage, particularly beautiful at sunset.

The castle houses the Centre d'Interprétation de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine (CIAP, ~4 EUR), which tells the story of the citadel and its territory through scale models, films and interactive displays. The 11th-century keep, one of the best preserved in western France, completes the visit.

The Camp des Anglais and Surroundings

At the foot of the citadel, the Camp des Anglais is a large green space crossed by the Erve, ideal for a picnic. A waymarked trail (~5 km, 1 hour 30 minutes loop) circles the promontory, passing a restored mill and several viewpoints over the ramparts. It is the best way to grasp the full scale of the defensive site.

The Saulges Caves and the Erve Valley

A Prehistoric Canyon in Mayenne

The Erve valley, south of Sainte-Suzanne, is a miniature canyon carved through limestone, harbouring some twenty cavities, several of which contain major prehistoric remains. The Musée de Préhistoire de Saulges (~5 EUR) presents the discoveries made on site: flint tools, bones of extinct animals and, most remarkably, cave engravings more than 20,000 years old, contemporary with Lascaux.

Grotte Margot and Grotte Rochefort

Grotte Margot (7 EUR, guided tour only, booking recommended) is the star of the site. Visitors discover engravings and cave paintings along a 250-metre underground route. Restrained lighting highlights the artworks without compromising their fragility. Grotte Rochefort (7 EUR), more mineral in character, impresses with its spectacular limestone formations: stalactites, stalagmites and stone draperies.

Practical tip: tours are in small groups and places are limited, especially in summer. Book online at least a week in advance. Bring a jacket: the underground temperature is around 12 degrees C year-round.

Hiking in the Valley

The Erve valley is ideal for hiking. A waymarked trail (~8 km, 2 hours 30 minutes) links the caves along the river, passing through oak and beech woods that are home to rare species. The site is classified Natura 2000 and shelters a protected colony of bats.

The Mayenne Bocage and Its Hidden Treasures

Jublains: The Gallo-Roman Town

About twenty kilometres north of Laval, Jublains preserves the best-conserved remains of a Gallo-Roman town in all of western France. The fortress (~4 EUR), the baths, the temple and the theatre form a monumentally complete ensemble, remarkable for a rural village. The archaeological museum displays everyday objects from Roman Gaul.

Château-Gontier and the Mayenne River

In the south of the département, Château-Gontier is a small town of character set on the banks of the Mayenne. Its Romanesque priory of Saint-Jean-Baptiste contains 12th-century wall paintings among the finest in the region. The Thursday market is one of the oldest in France.

The navigable Mayenne offers a peaceful way to discover the département. Hire boats (no licence required) are available by the day or the week (~80-150 EUR/day depending on season and boat size) for gentle cruising between flower-decked locks, rural moorings and sleepy villages.

Évron and Its Basilica

The small town of Évron boasts the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-l'Épine, whose origins go back to the 7th century. A Romanesque nave, a Gothic choir and the Notre-Dame chapel adorned with medieval frescoes make this an edifice of unexpected architectural richness for a town of its size. Entry is free.

Mayenne Cuisine

Mayenne cultivates a straightforward, hearty gastronomy. Mayenne butter, produced in the bocage's small dairies, is considered among the finest in France. Rillettes du Mans, although bearing the name of the neighbouring city, are made throughout the département. Farmhouse cider, dry or medium, accompanies everyday meals. For dessert, galettes de Sainte-Suzanne, small butter biscuits, make a perfect edible souvenir.

Producers' markets, plentiful in summer, are the chance to taste local produce directly in a convivial atmosphere.

Practical Information

Getting there: Laval is 1 hour 20 minutes from Paris by TGV (Paris-Brest line). By car, the A81 motorway connects Paris to Laval in about 3 hours.

Getting around: a car is essential to explore the département. The departmental roads crossing the bocage are pleasant and lightly trafficked. Cycling is an excellent option along the Vélo Francette, a signposted cycling route that follows the Mayenne valley from Domfront to Angers.

Best time to visit: May to September. Spring is particularly lovely when the bocage hedgerows are in bloom. Summer brings producers' markets and village festivals. Autumn wraps the Erve valley in golden colours.

Food budget: expect 10-15 EUR for a weekday lunch menu in a country inn, 20-30 EUR for dinner in a terroir restaurant. Prices are noticeably lower than on the neighbouring Atlantic coast, making Mayenne a very affordable destination.

Don't miss: the ramparts of Sainte-Suzanne at sunset, a river cruise on the Mayenne, and the prehistoric engravings of Grotte Margot, a distant and moving echo of the art of Lascaux.