LOCATION
department with three districts: Château-Gontier, Mayenne and Laval, which is also the capital and largest city with a population of around 50,000. Laval has a rich heritage and features a beautiful château, the world’s biggest dairy museum, a fabulous weekly market, cultural venues and many good restaurants. Its main industry is agriculture and it’s a very unspoiled part of France with a warm and temperate climate. Mayenne borders Normandy
(departments of Manche and Orne) and Brittany (Ille-et- Vilaine department) and is served by their ferry ports, with Rennes and Dinard airports also within easy reach. Trains to Paris from Laval take from an hour and three-quarters, and it’s just an hour to Le Mans by car. The River Mayenne runs
through the department and is popular for boat rides and cruises, with little restaurants and enticing villages along its banks. There are numerous cycle routes including La Vélo Francette, which runs through Mayenne’s glorious
The medieval town of Mayenne sits on the river that bears its name
LIVE IN FRANCE French philosophy:
Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup. It means eat well, laugh
oſten, love abundantly – what could be better?
Café culture and people-watching being a way of life.
Laval, capital of Mayenne, has a rich heritage and enchanting cobbled streets
countryside and stretches from Ouistreham in Brittany to La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime. The Mayenne valley is a network of hiking, walking and cycling paths, crossed by lakes and tributaries. Mayenne has flattish arable
land in the south and more rolling hills to the north. There are thriving towns, and the department has a rich history and plenty of cultural treasures
such as the magnificent grottoes at Saulges with their prehistoric cave paintings. There’s also the 2,000-year-old Roman capital of Jublains. Being a somewhat
undiscovered area means that there is plenty of affordable property from châteaux – possibly the most famous being that of Escape to the Château’s Dick and Angel Strawbridge’s Château de la Motte Husson,
Politesse (politeness): Saying ‘bonjour’ when you walk into a shop and shaking hands with everyone in the local bar.
Baguettes: Tucked under your arm, sticking out
of a basket, nibbling the end, smothered with butter – Unesco-listed
for intangible heritage, baguettes are a true taste of France.
Street markets in almost every town, ensure local producers are supported and people can buy
fresh, seasonal, local produce year-round.
which is about 20km from Laval – to farmhouses, workers’ cottages and traditional stone dwellings. For those seeking equestrian facilities, Mayenne is definitely an area to consider, with plenty of properties including land to choose from. A department often
On the market FIND MORE PROPERTIES ON
FRANCEPROPERTYSHOP.COM
€49,300,Mayenne:Large village house ready for renovation, with a new bathroom and new electric installation, open fireplace and parquet flooring (ASI Immobilier)
€127,000,Mayenne:Built in 1995, this detached four-bedroom family house in a small hamlet near St-Calais-du-Désert, has a garden with a pond (JB French Houses)
€212,000,Mayenne:This beautifully proportioned five- bedroom presbytery comes with a large garden, garage and outbuilding (Leggett Immobilier)
overlooked – even by the French – Mayenne has become more popular over the past few years as homebuyers seek tranquil locations with plenty of space, surrounded by countryside. Property prices remain affordable here with a three-bedroom family home costing €180,000 on average and plenty of bargains to be found – especially for those who are willing to take on a renovation project. If you’re looking for a
peaceful area, where property prices are tempting, then Mayenne could be just the place for you. ■
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 202355 5 REASONS TO
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©SHUTTERSTOCK
© SHUTTERSTOCK
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