Description:

Introduction

The historic town of Alençon is the administrative centre for the Orne Department. The town has a tradition of lace making that dates back three centuries. Today, the busy centre is crossed by a pedestrian zone and has many interesting shops, restaurants, bars and historical buildings. It also has 33 hectares of public parks and gardens.

Geography

Alençon is in the Lower Normandy region and sits beside the river Sarthe. It is located on the A28 motorway, 120km from the coast, 195km from Paris, 228km from Nantes,140km from Angers and 160km from Rennes and has good rail links.

Economy

The town's economy has turned towards tourism, printing and the plastics industry with a school of plastics engineering.

Tourism

Alençon has a museum, a number of galleries, a theatre, a concert hall and a cinema and organises a number of regular cultural events throughout the year. The town's tourist office is open all year and houses a souvenir and ticket shop and provides guided tours and audio guides to the town (Maison d’Ozé, Place de la Magdeleine. Telephone: 02 33 80 66 33)

Worth a Visit

The Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle - based in the 17th century Jesuit College, the museum houses historic collections of lace and paintings from the 15th to the 20th century.  Open all year from 10am to 12 noon and 2pm to 6pm. Closed Mondays except in July and August. Prices: Adult - 3.50€, pensioners - 2.60€, under 18 – free (Rue Charles Aveline, Cour Carrée de la Dentelle. Telephone: 02 33 32 40 07).

The Eglise Notre-Dame - This fine Gothic church, dates back to the 15th century and has beautiful 16th century stained glass windows.

The Halle au Blé - Built at the end of the 18th century for the sale of grain, this circular building is covered with a glass dome and, today, is used for exhibitions and other events (Place de la Halle au Blé).

The Chateau des Ducs - Built by Pierre II, Count of Alençon from 1361 à 1404 and fortified by his successors. Only a part of this fortress remains today (Rue de la Chaussée)

Sporting & Other Activities

The town is a centre for sporting and leisure activities and offers a range of facilities for kayaking, horse riding, ice skating and mountain biking.