Discover alençon

The Notre-Dame d'Alençon basilica: dating from the 15th century was rebuilt in the 18th century. The Notre-Dame d'Alençon church became a basilica on the 6th of Hune 2009 by Pope Benoit XVI.

The 'musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle' a fine arts and lace museum, presents the art of lace making and the famous 'Point d'Alençon' a specific stitch invented in Alençon in the 18th century.

The museum also has a great collection of 15th to 20th centuries paintings by artists such as Boudin, Courbet, Fantin-Latour, Champaigne.

The castle of the Dukes of Alençon is actually the entrance house of the then castle that was destroyed along the centuries. It is now the headquarters of the Alençon jail.

The castle is listed as historical monuments since 1862.

The Belvedere de Perseigne is a 30 m high observation tower located at the highest point above the tree tops and offers a great view on the Saosnois and the plain of Alençon.

The chapelle of Saint-Ceneri-le-Gerei was built near the end of the 14th century or at the very beginning of the 15th century on the foundations of the supposedly Saint-Ceneri shelter. The chapel is of gothic style and fits perfectly in the landscapes.

The forest de la Bourse formerly a 'royal forest' became a national forest in 1868. Granite stones were scattered to mark the boundaries of the forest in 1875.