Alençon

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Alençon – Museum of Lace, forests and historic buildings.

On the border between Normandy and Maine, Alençon is a small town steeped in history with many fine heritage buildings. It stands on a plain surrounded by wooded hills including three forests : Ecouves, Perseigne and Multonne. Multonne is home to Mont des Avaloirs, the highest point of western France at 416 metres. A ‘generality’ under the Ancien Régime, Alençon became the capital of the département of Orne but its outskirts are in Sarthe and Mayenne is only 15km away. A former garrison town with regiments of hussars and infantrymen, the firm Moulinex was born there and at the end of the 20th century, the town turned towards plastics processing. Apart from the district around the station, the town was spared the bombings of 1944 and its fine buildings remain intact. Alençon is a good place to live and is in the Normandie Maine Regional Natural Park which covers part of Orne, Sarthe, Mayenne and Manche, whose headquarters are at Carrouges (14th and 17th century castle).

World Heritage Lace and its museum

Lace connoisseurs will have recognised the name of Alençon, the birthplace of one of the finest types of needle lace. Alençon lace was known as the « Queen of lace, lace of the Queen ». It has a very special style combining elegance and delicateness. The grand Seigneurs of the Ancien Régime sometimes had to sell a farm and its land to be able to afford a collar of Alençon lace. The National Lace Workshop perpetuates the tradition and teaches lace-making techniques. Alençon lace is on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Alençon also cultivates the memory of its ancient dukes who distinguished themselves in the History of France. A chatelet (small castle) and several high towers have survived from the original huge medieval castle. Until recently it was used as a prison and will shortly be opened to the public. The castle overlooks Place Foch which is also the site of the Hotel de Ville (town hall), an architectural gem from the Louis XVI era, and the ‘Empire-style’ courthouse. A short distance away a strange circular building with a glass roof attracts the eye : it is the old corn exchange, now a venue for shows, fairs and exhibitions.

Heritage buildings in old Alençon

Eventail-ecaille-brillants-argent-lin-dentelle-aiguille-Point-Alençon-1890© Musée-Beaux-arts-D-Commenchal — Walk along the pedestrianized streets to Place Magdeleine, home of La Maison d’Ozée (Office de Tourisme) and the Basilica of Notre Dame (historic monument). Alençon is a sanctuary town. It is the sanctuary of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, the first couple ever to be canonised, parents of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. The future saint, Thérèse, was baptised in the church of Notre Dame. She became a Carmelite nun at Lisieux at the age of 15 and wrote « La Petite Voie (Story of a Soul) ». Walk up Grande Rue to Rue Saint Blaise where Thérèse’s birthplace is now a recently restored museum. Apart from the spiritual aspect, the interior is typical of a 19th century provincial bourgeois house. Zélie Martin had a lace-making business and Louis was a clockmaker. They met on a bridge, which has become a place of pilgrimage. Opposite Saint Thérèse’s birthplace stands another listed building, the Hotel de Guise, a 17th century mansion which was the Intendance of the Ancien Régime, then the Préfecture.

Heritage enthusiasts love walking around old Alençon. Start from Place Foch (free car parking), opposite the castle drawbridge and stroll around the maze of little streets and courtyards, along Grande Rue to admire mansions and old shop fronts, the church of Saint Leonard and the Basilica. On the other side of Place Foch is the « Porte de Lancrel » district and the Musée des Beaux Arts et de la Dentelle (art and lace museum). Don’t miss the rooms dedicated to Indochina or those with large paintings including a remarkable « Achille endormi (Achilles asleep) ».

Alençon – stopover on the Véloscénie cycle route

Alençon is also a stopover town on the Véloscénie cycle route which runs from Notre Dame de Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel. Many cyclists go through the old town, stopping for lunch or overnight. Mountain bikers can find adventure on the tracks and forest paths of Ecouves and Perseigne. Early in the morning or at twilight it is not unusual to see a stag, king of a forest realm covering thousands of hectares.
To take your time visiting Alençon, we recommend you head for Rue du Val Noble just next to the castle where Isabelle Folin has converted an old mansion into two comfortable gites, named after local celebrities : Zélie Martin, saint and mother of Sainte Thérèse and Adhémar Leclere who bequeathed his collections to the Musée des Beaux Arts. Otherwise, on the outskirts of the town heading towards Paris there is the little Empire-style château of Les Requêtes.
How to get to Alençon
By road via A28, between Le Mans and Rouen, or via A88 from Caen, then A28.
By rail to Alençon, or by bike along the Véloscénie.
Explore Orne in Normandy with Gîtes de France Orne : Pays d'Ouche, Bagnoles de l'Orne, Chambois, Saint Ceneri and Alpes Mancelles."