Le Grais: Pond Landscapes, Trails and Heritage

Le Grais can be explored through a range of different themes: the Étang de la Lande-Forêt and its protected habitats, the La Vélo Bocage route, and the Logis de la Petitière, a historic manor house. If you are looking for a hotel in Le Grais, these specific destinations can help you decide where to go. Would you like to explore nature by the pond, take a closer look at a route, or learn about the history of the architecture? The details below provide a clear point of reference for each of these interests.

Nature at the Étang de la Lande-Forêt

The Étang de la Lande-Forêt is located in the Forêt départementale du Grais. On its north shore are a peat bog and a swamp forest—two distinct habitats beside a pond. During the warmer months, the Étang is home to numerous dragonflies, while sundew species bloom in the peat bog. The observations therefore relate to different parts of the landscape: dragonflies are part of the pond’s seasonal scenery, while sundews belong to the bog. If one of these nature themes is especially important to you, the information about the season and location can help you find your way. Boardwalks and information panels allow visitors to discover these natural habitats.

Circular Trail and La Vélo Bocage

The 1.7 km Sentier de l'Étang de la Lande Forêt circular trail runs along the pond’s shores. Its length and route along the shore make this trail easy to identify. The La Vélo Bocage route also highlights the Étang de la Lande-Forêt in Le Grais, but focuses on something different: it is accessible to walkers, trekking bikes, mountain bikes, electrically assisted bicycles, and horse riders travelling at a walk. This gives you two different sets of details to consider when planning your trip: the Sentier is defined by its circular layout, length and route along the shore, while La Vélo Bocage is distinguished by the listed ways of getting around and its focus on the pond. These details describe each route and its features.

Logis de la Petitière: Architecture and Protection

The Logis de la Petitière is a manor house in Le Grais, built by the English during the Hundred Years’ War. A specific architectural description is recorded for its east façade: it dates from the 15th century and includes a stair tower. On 24 June 1975, the east façade and its associated roof were partially listed as protected heritage. This distinguishes several aspects: the historical account of its construction, a specific part of the façade, and the later record of its partial listing. For those interested in architecture, the stair tower provides a tangible point of reference; the protection details also specify which parts of the building are covered.

Trail de la Lande-Forêt: the 2026 edition

Another point of interest in the area is the Trail de la Lande-Forêt. For its 13th edition on 5 September 2026, three trail races of 8, 16 and 24 km, as well as an 8 km fun run, were organised in the Lande-Forêt. The 24 km race was part of the Challenge Trail Tour Basse Normandie (CTTBN). These distances describe the programme for that edition. This is a different kind of information from the length given for the Sentier de l'Étang circular trail: there, the length of the route is stated; here, the distances are for the races at a dated event.

Discover more destinations: Crouttes, La Ferté-Frênel, Passais, Saint-Aubin-d'Appenai, Saint-Michel-Des-Andaines, Ceton, Colonard-Corubert, Neuville-sur-Touques.

For the broader travel guide: Orne.