Discover Rânes

Rânes offers several themes to consider when planning a trip: the 17-hectare Château park, a museum of prehistory, historic buildings and races at the Hippodrome du Parc. When looking for a hotel, you can decide in advance what you want to focus on during your stay: the park and its activities, the architecture and local history, or a particular race day. The local sights offer concrete points to help you plan.

Château Park and the Château de Rânes

The park at the Château de Rânes covers 17 hectares. It includes wooded areas and more open spaces with sports and leisure facilities. There are play areas for children and opportunities for fishing in the park. Orienteering is also one of the activities: checkpoints are hidden around the park and equipped with control punches.

The Château’s grounds and park are open to visitors free of charge. Check access arrangements again before your trip. During a visit to the tower, a spiral staircase running within the thickness of the walls leads to the Fairy Chamber. Access to the Fairy Chamber is part of the tower visit.

Museum and activities for children

The Musée de la préhistoire is located in the basement of the Château de Rânes. It offers children games, interactive modules, excavation activities and puzzles. The games and puzzles provide a different kind of activity from the interactive modules and excavation activities. If you are travelling with children, you can take these specific offerings into account when planning.

Chapel and washhouse: architectural history in Rânes

The Chapelle des Princes de Berghes is also known as the Chapelle St Pierre. It is a Neo-Romanesque funerary chapel designed by the architect Victor Ruprich-Robert. Neo-Romanesque describes an architectural style inspired by Romanesque forms; the term funerary chapel describes the building’s function. By decree of 15 November 2010, the chapel and its original fittings were listed as Monuments historiques.

The Lavoir du Gué-Hébert washhouse is located in La Berrerie, on the road to Écouché. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century beside the Rânette stream. In September 1881, flooding of the Rânette washed away one of its walls; the washhouse was subsequently restored. This building’s location, construction date and a specific event in its history can therefore be considered separately.

Races and cycle path

The Hippodrome du Parc is located in the picturesque château park on the edge of Rânes town centre. Five race meetings are held there each year: on Easter Monday, Whit Monday, and in July and August. If you are planning to visit for a race, check the specific dates before your trip, as race days may change.

The municipality of Rânes maintains the “La campagne au temps des forges” cycle path. If you plan to include it in your itinerary, check the route conditions before setting out. This lets you plan your trip around the themes that matter to you: activities in the park, architectural and local history, or one of the recurring race days.

Discover more destinations: Colonard-Corubert, Bellême, Le Theil, Damigny, Saint-Aubin-d'Appenai, Saint-Michel-Des-Andaines, Athis-De-L'orne, Goulet.

For the regional travel overview: Orne.