A pottery festival with demonstrations, horse races at several times of year and notable chapters of medieval history give Moulins-La-Marche a variety of reasons to visit. To plan your trip, it helps to first decide what matters most to you: ceramics and crafts, the racing programme or the historical heritage.
Ceramics and crafts at the Fête des Potiers
The annual Fête des Potiers brings potters and local craftspeople together to showcase their ceramic creations and give demonstrations. In 2026, the festival reached its 35th edition. Those interested in pottery can explore it in two different ways: demonstrations give visitors a chance to see the craft at work, while the displayed creations put the ceramics themselves in the spotlight.
The programme also includes pottery workshops for children. Participants make their own pieces and can take them home. So as well as watching, visitors can take part in a hands-on activity. If you are planning your trip around the Fête des Potiers, check the date of that year's edition in advance.
Horse races at Hippodrome Jean Gabin
Hippodrome Jean Gabin hosts three days of horse racing in June, July and September. This spreads the racing across several periods of the year; specific dates may change. Plan around the current racing calendar, especially if the races are the main reason for your trip.
The grandstands and natural rises at the hippodrome offer views of the River Perche. So the views are also part of the venue's character, alongside the racing programme. Race dates and views of the river offer a different reason to visit from the annual pottery festival: the time of your stay depends on which programme you would like to experience.
Medieval fortifications and local remembrance
The medieval motte at Moulins-La-Marche was probably built in the mid-11th century. Its layout included several rings of fortification and a summit platform for a wooden keep, a few buildings and a chapel. This description presents a different type of medieval fortification from Les Fossés le Roi, a linear structure on the Norman frontier.
Henry II Plantagenet, Duke of Normandy and King of England, ordered the construction of Les Fossés le Roi. The fortification supplemented an existing line of castles that had already been reinforced under Henry I Beauclerc. The two structures therefore represent different forms of construction: the motte with its rings and summit platform, and a linear fortification supplementing an existing line.
Local remembrance is also part of this historical picture. A stele commemorating resistance fighters who fell in combat was erected at Clos Mottet in 1949. It adds a distinctly later historical note alongside the medieval fortifications.
A local brioche and a cycling practice track
The brioche of Moulins-La-Marche adds local food culture to the historical themes. Raymond Fanouillet invented the recipe in 1973. The original shape also has a specific story behind it: it resulted from a vote between the two bakers and the confectioner at the time. For those interested in regional traditions, the brioche offers a different way to experience the place than its fortifications and memorials.
Moulins-La-Marche also has an innovative practice track for learning to ride a bicycle. If you would like to include the track in your travel plans, check its current availability before your trip. It adds a practical activity to the festival and history themes, without implying that there are other cycling routes or a particular route to follow.
Plan your stay around your reason for visiting
For a trip to the Fête des Potiers or the horse races, the event date is a useful starting point for planning; for the racing programme, check the specific days too. If you are more interested in medieval history or the brioche, you can make those the focus of your stay instead of planning your trip around one of the events mentioned. Then choose accommodation for your stay in Moulins-La-Marche. This way, you can start planning with the reason that brings you here.
Discover more destinations: Crouttes, Condeau, Pervenchères, Médavy, La Ferté-Frênel, Le Theil, Brieux, Parfondeval.
For the broader travel overview: Orne.
