Cormes: Church, Walking Trails and Cider

Cormes brings together several themes to help you plan your trip: Église Saint-Denis and its architecture, trails of varying lengths, Cidrerie Sophie Ammann and traces of local history. If you are interested in architectural history, walking or local production, these places and trails offer different ways to make the most of your stay.

Église Saint-Denis and the Village Centre

Cormes church, Église Saint-Denis, is protected as a Monument historique. It was listed on 6 January 1926. Construction took place between 1500 and 1544. Its architectural features include tall pointed-arch windows with flamboyant tracery. The church is also one of the rural churches of the Perche Sarthois with high-quality Renaissance stained-glass windows.

Pointed arches, tracery and Renaissance glass describe different aspects of the window architecture and offer a tangible way to explore the church’s features. The washhouse in Cormes is in the village centre near the church, adding another prominent landmark to help you find your way around the village.

Walking: GR®235 and the Tramway Discovery Trail

The GR®235 passes through Cormes and leads walkers through the village to the church. The 73-kilometre walking route from La Ferté-Bernard to Bessé-sur-Braye crosses the Perche Sarthois and is rated easy. The section through Cormes to the church is part of this longer route. Check trail conditions before setting out.

The Tramway Discovery Trail in Cormes is a 1.5-kilometre, waymarked walking trail with information panels. This offers a contrast between a short route with information panels and the 73-kilometre GR®235 route. Check local access conditions before your visit.

Cidrerie Sophie Ammann

Cidrerie Sophie Ammann welcomes visitors to its farm in Cormes. Guided tours are available by prior arrangement; confirm the arrangements before you arrive. The farm produces cider, apple juice and vinegar from local varieties. The range may change. The ciders are naturally fermented using native yeasts from the orchards. This brings together the varieties used and the fermentation method described, while the products on offer are not limited to cider alone.

Traces of local history

Between Cherré and Cormes, the route of the former tramway line can be seen in an embankment in the fields beside the road. This feature in the landscape marks the former route between the two villages. A marble plaque added later at the war memorial commemorates the victims of the 1939–1945 war. Together, these places represent different aspects of the past: an earlier transport link and remembrance of the war victims.

Discover more destinations: Parigné-Le-Pôlin, Bourg-le-Roi, Juigné-sur-Sarthe, Rouperroux-le-Coquet, Saint-Pavace, Mansigné, Chemiré-en-Charnie, Saint-Saturnin.

For the broader travel overview: Sarthe.