Two very different time frames are on offer in Champfrémont: a very easy walk of around 30 minutes and a roughly four-hour stage of the GR de Pays. There are also places with their own historical stories: the Sainte-Anne Chapel, Château de La Bellière and the restored Maison du Maquis de Courtemiche. When planning your visit, you can first decide whether you want to focus on outdoor activity or on the history of the buildings and the area.
Hikes of varying lengths
The Rando'Clim trail “Sentier Ste Anne de Champfrémont” is a very easy hike of about 1.1 km, taking around 30 minutes. The route information was updated on December 23, 2024. The 16.5 km stage of the GR de Pays “Tour du Mont des Avaloirs” takes about four hours and runs from Pré-en-Pail-Saint-Samson to Sainte-Anne-de-Champfrémont. This gives you a choice of two different time frames: a short hike or a considerably longer route section. Check the latest trail conditions for the GR stage before setting out.
The Sainte-Anne site and chapel
The Sainte-Anne de Champfrémont site lies 1 km north of the village centre and is visited throughout the year. The recreational area includes picnic tables and a shelter. There is also a fountain, a stopover accommodation facility, a restored former livestock market, a fruit-tree conservation garden, a pond and numerous hiking trails. If you plan to use the shelter as a group, it is best to check the arrangements in advance.
The Sainte-Anne de Champfrémont Chapel dates from the mid-17th century; Abbé Étienne Jouy began its construction in 1630. In 1973, volunteers fully restored the building. Its features include a wooden vaulted ceiling, three wooden altarpieces and a polychrome terracotta statue of Saint Anne from the 16th century. The building therefore brings together different periods: the older statue, the chapel begun in the 17th century and its later restoration. A former police post next to the chapel was used to house cattle thieves on market days.
La Bellière Castle and park
Château de La Bellière dates from the 17th century. E.-A. de Vaucelles designed the park plan in September 1802. Since September 6, 1995, the château, the outbuilding wing, the 19th-century outbuildings’ façades and roofs, the moats, and the gardens with their enclosures have been listed as a historic monument. The building and the design of the park thus reflect different historical periods.
The park can be visited from May to September by prior arrangement, on Thursdays or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. It is also open every year for the European Heritage Days, held on the third weekend in September. If you are planning a visit, confirm the booking arrangements before your trip.
Normandie-Maine and local history
Champfrémont is part of the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park and the Normandie-Maine UNESCO Global Geopark. The restored Maison du Maquis de Courtemiche served as a refuge for members of the Resistance, including young men who refused to take part in the compulsory labour service (STO). This adds a distinct strand of local history to the story of the chapel and its architecture.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Germain-le-Guillaume, Montourtier, Saint-Pierre-Sur-Orthe, Saint-Georges-sur-Erve, Gesvres, Préaux, Saulges, Couesmes-Vaucé.
For the broader travel guide: Mayenne.
