A getaway to the village of Saint Céneri Le Gerei

The charming village of Saint Céneri Le Gerei, located 14 km from Alençon (which I mentioned in more detail in a previous article), is classified among the most beautiful villages in France. It sits in the heart of the Alpes Mancelles and is surrounded by the Ecouves forest, said to be the highest in the West of France. If you are visiting the region, it is a lovely stop to make, ideally on a beautiful sunny day.

This artists’ village on the banks of the Sarthe river, with its Romanesque church perched on the cliff (housing wall paintings from the 12th and 14th centuries), its 15th-century chapel in the meadow, and its local stone houses, possesses an undeniable bucolic charm. We had a great time discovering it during our getaway to Alençon with our fellow bloggers Faustine and Mathieu from Parisian Touch. Saint Céneri Le Gerei is particularly famous for having attracted many painters in the 19th century, such as Corot and Boudin, who came here to set up their easels to capture the landscapes and variations in light.

Practical Information:

Saint-Cénéri-le-Gérei Tourist Information Point is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM

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Visiting Saint Céneri Le Gerei with a greeter

Once again, as in Alençon, we visited the village with a greeter, which is a fantastic tip as it is free (I also mentioned this in my article on Tours). In short, these are enthusiasts who offer to show tourists around their city or region on a voluntary basis. On this occasion, we had the chance to meet Louis Loudière, a retired civil aviation professional who helped us discover the village and his passion for the nature surrounding the town. I have a very special thought for him as he passed away at the end of the summer… I obviously feel a twinge of sadness when I think of his energy and the enthusiasm with which he shared that short moment with us.

His top tip: Head down to the lower part of the village to take a photo on the bridge that crosses the Sarthe.

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Visiting the Auberge des Sœurs Moisy Museum

This inn was one of the favorite places for renowned painters who came to find inspiration in the Alpes Mancelles at the end of the 19th century, as I mentioned in the introduction.

Must see: The famous Room of the Beheaded (don’t worry, it’s absolutely not creepy, contrary to what the name suggests), which I’ll let you discover yourself (it would spoil the surprise if I explained everything)…

Auberge des sœurs Moisy Museum
Rue du dessous 61250 Saint Céneri Le Gérei

Rates: €5 for adults / €3 for ages 7 to 12 / free for under 7s

Open Wednesday to Sunday from April to September, 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM (and every day in July and August)

Guided tours from Wednesday to Sunday during the high season (€2)

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The Saint Céneri Jazz Festival: Saint Scène

This year, the Saint Scène festival, which has existed since 2014, took place on July 7th and 8th, 2018. It happens every year in the Pré de la Chapelle (which dates back to the 15th century), in a lovely rural setting by the water. It’s a friendly and relaxed event that we found really cool. We also loved the concert by the band Chanson d’Occasion on Saturday evening, which was a very pleasant discovery. This band recycles popular hits in their own way with great success, in a Gypsy jazz style.

Saint Scène Jazz Festival

Rates: €10 per day / €15 for 2 days / free for under 12s

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Go Trotti Woods

Trotti Woods offers excursions on electric scooters with several circuits, mainly in the Alpes Mancelles starting from Saint Céneri Le Gérei itself. For my part, after a little training, I found it much too difficult and dangerous, so I let the boys and Faustine do the course, and when I saw the state they came back in, I didn’t regret my choice… Too bad we didn’t think of taking photos for a before/after, it would have been funny…

I think we should have asked for a quiet and calm circuit by staying on the road, for example… Anyway, I recommend this sport if you are a daredevil, otherwise I recommend starting with an easy course to get familiar with the machine, which I find is not that simple to master at first…

Trotti Woods

Price: €25 for the approx. 1-hour circuit and €30 for 1h30
Tel: 0647868857

Loan of the electric scooter and equipment
link to the Trotti Woods website

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Lunch at L’échoppe gourmande in Saint Céneri Le Gerei

This very friendly little restaurant in the heart of the village has a very lovely terrace for the summer, as well as a shop with local products to bring back some regional specialties. The place is actually backed against one of the pillars of the castle for the record, and it also serves as a tea room and ice cream parlor if you just want a little break during your visit to the village without having lunch, for example.

To try: the salads (€10.90), the homemade quiches (€11.90), and local craft beers like the Trotteuse (€4.50)

L’échoppe gourmande
23, route de Saint Pierre des Nids 61250 Saint Céneri Le Gerei

Open every day in high season and from Friday evening to Sunday lunch in low season

A la carte price: between €3.50 and €14.50

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Thanks to the Alençon Tourist Office for this welcome and to Sébastien Lelièvre for the organization.

I hope that with all this, I will have made you want to discover Saint Cénéri Le Gerei and the Alençon area. If you also have your own favorite addresses and tips for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!

Find all my articles on the Normandy region below:
⇒ All my articles on Normandy

MY ARTICLES ON THE DEPARTMENTS OF NORMANDY
⇒ The Orne
⇒ The Seine Maritime
⇒ The Eure
⇒ The Calvados
⇒ The Manche

Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez
Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use