Discover Craon: Château, historic town centre and horse racing

Craon offers a variety of highlights for your trip: historic architecture, visual arts, landscaped green spaces, horse racing and cycling. If you’re looking for a hotel in Craon, you can consider which of these themes you’d like to shape your stay. The options also vary depending on the type of visit, from a signposted walk through the historic centre to a guided tour of the Château with an approximate duration. The racecourse and a cycling stage to Craon may also be relevant to your plans.

Historic centre, church and art

The Église Saint-Nicolas was built in 1846 in the Neo-Gothic style, to plans by the Angevin architect Édouard Moll. Its organs date from 1860; they were restored and returned to service in 2003. Alongside the building’s history, the history and restoration of the organs are also a focus.

The historic centre has half-timbered houses. A signposted walk draws attention to notable buildings and gives your visit a thematic framework that extends beyond a single landmark.

The Maison Bleue is a municipal art gallery in Craon. It hosts temporary exhibitions of visual art throughout the year. This means that, alongside architecture and local history, changing art exhibitions are another part of Craon’s cultural offerings.

Château de Craon and its grounds

The Château de Craon is known as “le petit Versailles de la Mayenne”. Its grounds include a French garden, an English park and a historic kitchen garden. These three descriptions give an impression of the variety of the landscape design without reducing the site to a single type of garden. Anyone interested in gardens can explore these different features as highlights in their own right.

The Château offers guided tours lasting approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, which include historic furnishings and a chapel. If you plan to take this tour, its approximate duration is a useful guide for planning your day. As the schedule may change, check it before your visit.

Horse racing and cycling

The Hippodrome de La Touche racecourse hosts harness races, flat races and steeplechases. Horse racing has been held at the racecourse in Craon since 1848. If attending the races is a key reason for your visit, check the event dates in advance.

For cyclists, the stage from Château-Gontier to Craon is a specific option to consider when planning. It is listed as 41 km; the practical information also gives a distance of 34 km, as well as 253 m of ascent and 233 m of descent. The surfaces are described as paved sections of the Voie verte and roads. Check the route details before setting off: the two distance figures are given side by side, while the elevation figures and route types provide further planning information.

The Oudon and the river’s history

In Craon, the views of the Oudon from the bridges offer an appealing perspective on the river. The Oudon was initially used for defence and was also associated with river trades. This makes it possible to connect the view of the water with a glimpse into the river’s former role.

Discover more destinations:La Rouaudière, Torcé-Viviers-En-Charnie, Saint-Germain-Le-Fouilloux, Brécé, Azé, Neau, Meslay-Du-Maine, Hambers.

For the wider travel overview: Mayenne.