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Alençon

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Orne

Alençon - Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Orne
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The town of Alençon, once the seat of the Dukes of Normandy and today the capital of the Orne, has been famous for its unique lace pattern since the 17th century. It also boasts a rich architectural and cultural heritage.

Alençon's old quarter, a source of inspiration for famous French novelist Honoré de Balzac, is dotted with half-timbered houses and mansions with wrought-iron balconies, making it a lovely place to explore. Among the must-see places of interest are Notre-Dame church with its superb early 16th-century Flamboyant Gothic-style porch; the Maison d'Ozé, the Duke of Alençon's former residence, with its conservation orchard; the Château des Ducs and its machicolated towers; and the birth house of St Theresa of Lisieux and its chapel. Another leading attraction in the town is the fine art and lace museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle) housed in the old Jesuit college and home to sumptuous collections of lace and paintings.

A colourful market selling delicious produce takes place every Thursday and Saturday morning on Place de la Magdeleine at the foot of Notre-Dame church.

Additional information
Alençon

At the junction of the Regional Parks of Perche and Normandy-Maine, Alençon draws its features between rural district, preserved nature and urbanization. Located at the confluence of the Sarthe and the Briante, the city has gone from a simple ford in antiquity to a city of importance, prefecture of the Orne, world famous for its lace at the point of Alençon, but the history has been turbulent: a fortified town in the 11th century, Alençon enjoyed radiant hours with Marguerite de Lorraine in the 15th century. The Reformation finds its cradle in the city and the Catholics flee from the city. It was in 1665 that Colbert founded the royal lace factories. The legend was born. During the 19th century, the city turned towards industrialization and took off economically. It was also during this period that many famous people left their mark on the city. Starting with Baudelaire who had his "Fleurs du Mal" printed at Alençon in 1857. Then Balzac stayed there to write two of his works: "Le cabinet des antiques" and "La Vieille Fille". Finally, Alençon saw the birth of Thérèse Martin, better known as Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux.

Things to see and do

You will have a program loaded at Alençon. Among the must-sees, you absolutely must visit the Lace Museum of Alençon. Inspired by the Point of Venice, the Point of Alençon is a know-how inscribed on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010. This technique requires hours of patience. It takes between 7 and 15 hours of work to create a surface equivalent to a postage stamp. An emblematic figure of Alençon, Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux was born in the city and her birthplace can be visited. Another place steeped in history to discover absolutely, the Notre-Dame d'Alençon basilica. Of Gothic architecture, the imposing building listed as a Historic Monument sits proudly in the town centre.

Alençon has 31 Listed Monuments. You can choose to discover them on guided tours or go for a walk through the streets of the city. Among them are to be seen absolutely, the Jesuit church adjoining the college founded by the Jesuits in 1620, the Café de la Renaissance whose interior is truly divine and offers a quite exceptional second renaissance decor, the hall at the wheat, a circular building topped by an impressive glass dome, the castle of the Dukes of Alençon which is actually the entrance pavilion to the castle, and the house of Ozé, a medieval residence built in 1450. To visit Alençon, you can also opt for the bike. Many routes are available. And for fun, treat yourself to a tour of the city in a horse-drawn carriage. This type of tour is available in July and August.

Sports facilities are not lacking in the city. You can thus, according to your desires, play a round of golf on the green of the hippodrome golf course or enjoy a dip in the swimming pools of the aquatic center of Alençon. You will have something to distract you!

Places of interest

Information points
Leisure centres
Monuments
Performance halls
Transport

Events and festivities

Throughout the year, various markets are held in the town of Alençon:

At the beginning of March, the Alençon Ornexpo fair invites itself for 4 consecutive days. You will be able to browse different stands in fields as diverse and varied as wine, habitat and gastronomy among others.

In June, the 24 hours of biodiversity take place. On the program, walks and discoveries in the city.

In July, the world folklore festival takes place with many artists from different countries as well as the Echappées Belles festival with a range of varied live shows at attractive prices.

Exposition : Rotulus, un Patrimoine Médiéval à Dérouler
Tordre la Lumière - Exposition Temporaire au Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle
Les Multiples Visages du Patrimoine Français en Photos
Le Printemps de la Chanson - Baltik
Moulage de Protections Auditives
L'Orne Fête le Printemps Avec ses Producteurs
The Exploited + Hot Action Waxing
Spectacle "Le Monte-Plats"
Promenons-Nous Dans les Bios
Visite la Cité des Ducs d'Alençon au XIe et au XVIe Siècle

Photos

House Ozé
House Ozé
See photo

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Your holidays
A hotel
A vacation rental
A bed & breakfast
A campsite
A leisure activity
A restaurant
A rental car
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