Trans-la-Forêt is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in the Brittany region, 19 km south-west of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Its territory of nearly 15 km² covers the northern part of the large forest of Villecartier, which explains the name of the locality. It has retained a rural character and agriculture remains the primary activity. Its varied landscapes bear witness to this: the municipal area is thus covered with cultivated areas (65%), meadows (22%) and woods (10%).
Trans-la-Forêt is still famous today for having been the site of a great battle in the history of the region: on August 1, 939, the Bretons defeated the Vikings who had settled in the coastal area... Traces of the camps of the belligerents are still visible to the south-east of the town.
Subsequently, in the Middle Ages and then under the Old Regime, the parish was made up of peasants but also craftsmen who worked with wood from the forest (craft clog making).
Nowadays, there are nearly 600 inhabitants in the locality (it had more than double in the 19th century). The heritage and the cultural and nature leisure offer of Trans-la-Forêt justify a stopover during a stay in the region, near the beaches (a quarter of an hour by car)...
In terms of heritage, two remarkable buildings are worth mentioning in the town.
This is part of the parish church of Saint-Pierre, rebuilt in 1580 on medieval foundations. In the 16th century, it only had a single nave. He waited until the eve of the Revolution to add the porch and the bell tower and, in 1823, two interior chapels were built. About twenty years later, bays are pierced on the "south" facade of the nave. An overall restoration was initiated in 1955 and more recently, the beams of the bell tower have been consolidated. The church houses old statues, a beautifully crafted altarpiece, a way of the cross made of terracotta by Claude Gruer, a contemporary artist inspired by the abbey of Solesmes (he lived nearby, in this town in Sarthe) and finally a superb but singular altar: it is an element of sculpted sand pit from the castle of Villarmois. The latter (also known as Trans or de la Villeaudon) is located on the Bazouges road, to the west of the town.
A first seigniorial castle dating from the 14th century was replaced there in 1770 by the current building, where the chapel was nevertheless kept for some time, dating from 1611. Nowadays, in neo-classical style, surrounded by a park and a French garden, the site still has a noble character. The property is private but it can be observed from the outside during a walk. Inquire at the town hall on +33 2 99 48 62 29.
During this walk dedicated to heritage, you will also be able to notice roadside crosses, the Ville-Pican menhir which attests to a very ancient human presence, or even the site of the battle of Trans between Bretons and Vikings which is the subject of guided hikes...
On the cultural level, a visit is essential to "the house of the sabot", a museum space fitted out in the dwelling and the workshop of Ferdinand Laigle, the last clog-maker in the town. He had settled there after the war, next to a café-grocery run by his wife. Ferdinand Laigle perpetuated there the know-how of his ancestors, since we were clog makers from father to son in this family. Died in 1996, he donated his machines and clogs to the community. From the cutting of logs from the Villecartier forest to the making of clogs using machines and manual tools, the museum space allows you to understand the nobility of this craft long typical of the region. Also on display are clogs from around the world. Open every day from April to September as well as during school holidays and all year round for groups. Free admission. Information on +33 2 57 64 09 28.
The forest but also the bucolic landscapes and hedgerows of Trans-la-Forêt can be apprehended during a pleasant horseback ride. Contact the Sabots de Villecartier equestrian center on +33 6 07 80 70 23.
More singular, there is a center dedicated to first flights aboard a "microlight helicopter" in the town. Enough to observe the village, the inland as well as the nearby coasts by gaining height... Inquire on +33 2 99 48 51 55.
Finally, make way for hiking or biking. Regularly throughout the year, a guided tour is offered, "In the footsteps of the Vikings", which allows you to observe the remains of the Viking and Breton camps (ditches) on the edge of the forest dating from the battle of 939, which then allowed the Duchy of Brittany to gain its independence. Distance: 8 km. Information and reservations on +33 2 99 56 66 99 or +33 2 57 64 09 29. At these same numbers, maps and information are available on other marked loops that criss-cross the forest or allow, for example, to reach the near coast or even Le Mont-Saint -Michael!