Places to Visit

Local Attractions

La Haute Mancelière is situated  in a peaceful location, in the heart of the countryside near the border between Brittany and Normandy. Tremblay 5kms away, the nearest village, has an 11th Century Church, as well as a few little shops and bars. St Brice-en-Cogles is also only 4km away and is a very pretty village with 2 supermarkets, shops and restaurants.

Atlantic Coast, Brittany

There are also lots of historical towns to explore – Fougères, only 15kms away boasts the largest medieval castle in Europe. Tours of the castle are available with audio guides in English, which bring the Castle and town to life. Dinan and St Malo, both fine examples of beautiful medieval towns are close by to explore. Rennes is a larger town with pretty cobbled streets and excellent restaurants. No holiday is complete without a visit to the second most visited tourist attraction in France, Mont St Michel only 25kms away. Being located in Eastern Brittany, the attractions in lower Normandy are also within easy reach. We are only 1h15 minutes drive from the Normandy beaches between Caen and Cherbourg, and an hour’s drive from Bayeux. The surrounding countryside offers many lovely walks and cycle rides, many through established forests which characterize the beautiful countryside of the Fougères region. There are markets on nearly every day of the week, both in Brittany and Normandy. Activities such as horse riding, golf and fishing are all available locally.

Family Days Out

The Forest of Villecartier

The forest is only a 10 minute drive from the gites and a great place to spend time if you just want a walk or want activities. There are several well marked walks, including a lovely walk around the lake (around 2.5kms). As well as the walks, there are three children’s play areas and a bar/restaurant which is open all day for meals and drinks. Short pony rides and electronic boat rides on the lake are also available in high season and at weekends in May/June/September. From Easter to September a Accrobranches Circuit is also open – an adventure tree walking circuit, not for anyone suffering from vertigo! As well as a course for age 12 to adults, there is a junior circuit for children of 5+.s only a 10 minute drive and as well as offering many different walks, there are electronic boats, pony rides and a new attraction, a tree walking ‘  high in the trees where you complete a course of varying difficulty whilst attached by a safety harness to overhead cables.

Zoos and Animal attractions

• La Bourbonsais – 40 minutes drive. A nice little zoo near Combourg, where you can feed some of the animals (the goats rather than the lions!) watch a falconry display and the children can end the trip by playing on bouncy castles. There is also a Chateau which can be visited.
• Champretus Zoo – 45 minutes drive. North of Avranches, a little bigger than La Boubonsais zoo and again with a good play area for children.
• The Aquarium at St Malo – 45 minutes drive. A fabulous little aquarium with an underwater Nautilus ride at the end.
• Alligator Bay Reptilarium – 25 minutes drive, near Mont St Michel. An impressive collection of many different reptiles, from snakes to alligators.

Activity and Water Parks

• Cobac Parc near Combourg  – an activity and water park (40 mins drive)
• Ange St Michel   Near Avranches – an activity and water park (40 mins drive)
• Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne – 10 mins drive. A beautiful floral park, set in the grounds of an old Chateau. It comprises 24 different botanical gardens, and is especially lovely to visit in April/May/June.