Thaon: Walks and Historic Buildings

Explore Thaon on walks of varying lengths and with different destinations. Alongside small paths and protected green spaces, the town’s historical highlights include a Romanesque church and the Château de Thaon. When planning your trip, the named routes offer concrete guidance on whether you prefer a shorter walk, a village circuit or a route with a specific destination.

Walks by distance and destination

The 3 km walk “Thaon – La Mue” is described as a short walk on the eastern side of the Mue Valley. It starts at the car park of the Maison du Temps Libre behind the town hall. At 3 km, “Thaon – La Mue” is the shortest of the routes listed.

“Thaon des petits chemins” is 5.5 km long and is intended for discovering the village and its small paths. The route passes through two protected green spaces. Traces of Gallo-Roman remains lie beneath the ground there.

Two other walks are each 6 km long, but have different destinations. “Thaon – la Vieille Eglise – La Mue” leads to the Vieille Eglise and the eastern side of the Mue Valley. You reach the Romanesque church after 700 metres along the route. “Thaon – Petit tour du village,” by contrast, is described as a village circuit. One route leads to the church, while the other is a village circuit.

“Sur les rives de la Mue” also has its own focus: along this route, visitors can admire châteaux, manor houses and numerous buildings with remarkable architecture or history.

Church and château history

The Château de Thaon was built in construction campaigns in 1624 and 1732. It is partially listed as a historic monument; the relevant order is dated 27 July 1978. The protection covers the façades and roofs, the staircase with its wrought-iron railing, and the small salon with its Louis XV furnishings on the first floor. The listing therefore applies to specific parts of the château.

The Vieille église Saint-Pierre de Thaon is a Norman Romanesque religious building dating from the 11th to 12th centuries. It is among the first historic monuments to have been classified, in 1840. The buildings date from very different periods: the Vieille église Saint-Pierre dates from the 11th to 12th centuries, while the construction campaigns for the Château de Thaon took place in 1624 and 1732. Thaon’s Norman Romanesque religious building and château from later centuries thus represent different periods in architectural history.

Another historical detail concerns the Moulin du Vivier: in the 1970s, it was known as the “Mine à Poivre.”

Discover more destinations: Langrune-Sur-Mer, Martigny-Sur-L'ante, Ouilly-Le-Tesson, Petiville, Caen, Castillon-En-Auge, Bretteville-Sur-Odon, Ifs.

For the broader travel overview: Calvados.