The Perche National Park region of lower Normandy is one of France’s best kept secrets…come and see for yourself!
Lovers of the countryside will be captivated by the scenery of the Perche National Park region. Situated in the south-east corner of the Orne department (61) of Normandy, the area is home to some of the most beautiful countryside in the world as well as many of the prettiest villages in France. The ‘Parc Natural du Perche’ is a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a good base from which to visit Normandy and the Loire valley.
There are great walks through the countryside and forests and cycle tracks or horse rides, fishing is also very popular here. Due to the proximity of Paris the Perche is also rich in culture with festivals, concerts, plays, museums, galleries and antique shops galore.
The Saturday markets of Mortagne au Perche and Nogent le Rotrou are magnificent and not only offer the most wonderful local produce but are a popular social event and great way to pass a morning, maybe take a coffee in one of the local cafes or tea rooms.
Dotted through the countryside are a huge number of pretty towns and villages to discover including La Perrière, Ste Gauburge “home of the eco museum”, ancient fortified town of Belleme, Condeau with its “relais de poste” now an antiques shop, Maison-Maugis and its stunning chateau, St Victor de Reno at the foot of the Reno Valdieu forest, Moutiers-au-Perche and its beautiful church on the hillside, to name but a few of the hidden treasures.
Accessibility is excellent within one and a half hours you can reach Paris (by train or car) also the ports at Le Havre and Caen, and Calais is just three and a half hours by car. If you want a day of shopping and don’t want to go as far as Paris Le Mans and Chartres are both excellent and within an hours drive. If it is beach weather then you have a choice of the Normandy beaches including Deauville and Cabourg just one and a half hours away, or alternatively visit one of the local lakes with their own sandy beaches at Le Mele sur Sarthe, Soligny la Trappe and Fontaine Simon.
Properties
The type of properties you will find in the Perche range from barns for renovation, traditional stone farmhouses, mills and manoirs to magnificent 16th Century Chateaus. Property prices here are surprisingly low given that the Perche National Park is the closest area of ‘green belt’ to Paris. We have a good selection of properties for sale in the Perche in our property listings.