Aiming for the pro leagues…

This tournament can be described as the antechamber to professional football. It is a great opportunity for clubs to make it to the realm of professional sports, but also to develop a fan base at a regional level.

For these third-division teams, the main objective is to conquer the public and to initiate a process which might lead them to the elite of French football. Last year Vannes, Tours and Nimes finally made it into Ligue 2, and this year the favourites are Niort, Libourne and Gueugnon.

Nevertheless, other less well-known teams such as Cherbourg, Laval or Sète will also have a chance at reaching the stars…

Red as can be.

This 50-person formation has created a enchanting performance, a panorama of Russia's most beautiful chants and dazzling ballets.

Soloists, tenors, baritones, sopranos, exceptional talent backed by the choir's booming bass vocalists give this performance an undertone of puissance charged with real emotion. Leaping, feather-light, athletic… The dancers are charming and sensual, flitting across the stage in a blaze of colour -- their magnificent traditional costumes make for a vivid fresco of movement.

Take a trip down the Mayenne and discover the Loire Valley.

Once upon a time the Mayenne was overrun by commercial activity. Nowadays, however, it has become a unique site where objects and creatures of ecological importance are preserved while at the same time allowing for a number of leisure pursuits.
Perfect for a walk or bike ride, the 85km towpath can be taken in sections but is suitable for a continuous cycle ride.

If wishes were horses…

Do you like nature? If you have always dreamed of learning to ride in idyllic natural surroundings, then Barbara and her horses will not disappoint. From complete beginners to experienced riders, from a walk on a lead rope to a challenging flatwork class, Barbara offers a friendly approach to riding.

From tradition to technology.

This educational centre covering over 5,000m² retraces the development of a traditional rural trade that over time has grown into a powerful industry using the latest technology. Above all, it is a unique testimony to the changes that have overtaken the rural world in just under two centuries. Milk production has gone from being a craft to becoming a cutting-edge business that is at the forefront of French industry.

The tour gradually introduces the visitor to changes in the world of dairy farming as the tour progresses. In the course of the two-hour tour, you are guided through a world of beauty and light to an understanding of why France is the home of cheese. You will understand the enthusiasm of these men and women who love the business of cheese-making, and watch the tools of the trade being used by skilful hands, their unique knowhow jealously guarded.

At the abbey of Clairmont, nestling in the hollow of a valley, visitors are invited to absorb a sense of peace and contemplation as they discover the grandeur and yet simplicity of Cistercian art.
The abbey was founded by Bernard of Clairvaux in the 12th century, and features magnificent ruins.

Remodelled over the centuries.

The church of La Trinité was built in 1070 and much remodelled over the centuries.
Its architecture is distinctly mixed, and a visit reveals the different phases of its successive transformations and the splendour of its furnishings.

Dinner's practically ready.

La Charmille is a charming introduction to authentic organic farm produce.
The farmers will give you a warm welcome and advise you on local products.
Discover delicious organic vegetables, charcuterie, cider and homemade jams, cheese, dairy products, apples and pears and honey.

In the footsteps of...

The tour follows a path marking out the various stages in the life of Alain Gerbault: childhood, the First World War, his adventures at sea, his final port of call in Polynesia.
The extensive museum collection is made up of photographs, maps, letters and personal possessions.

The fortress: a heart of stone in a green setting.

The earliest known history of the castle begins under the Vicomtes de Beaumont, as witnessed by the stone keep at the castle entrance. It witnessed the defeat of William, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) who laid siege to the castle for three years without success.
In 1604, Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne purchased the castle of Sainte-Suzanne from Marguerite de Navarre and, a few years later, built the residential quarters, a perfect example of contemporary provincial architecture (currently under restoration).

The way it used to be.

The School Museum is an invitation to memory and nostalgia for some and a source of discovery and curiosity for others: school as it used to be is presented through an extraordinary collection of teaching aids and school text-books.
The museum was first opened to the public in 1991 and currently contains over 10,000 items (text-books, teaching documents and school furniture) that bring old-time schooldays vividly back to life.

Take a trip down the Mayenne and discover the Loire Valley.

Once upon a time the Mayenne was overrun by commercial activity. Nowadays, however, it has become a unique site where objects and creatures of ecological importance are preserved while at the same time allowing for a number of leisure pursuits.
Perfect for a walk or bike ride, the 85km towpath can be taken in sections but is suitable for a continuous cycle ride.

From the 11th century to contemporary art.

Built in the 11th and 12th centuries, modified during the 14th and 15th centuries and again during the Renaissance, the castle of Laval has retained its crypt and all its original defences: the keep, the fortified walls, etc.
Against the walls of this castle, the display of Naive Art makes an astonishing contrast: the castle museum features an international collection of Naive Art including works by some of themovement's greatest names: from Bauchant to Bombois, Vivin, Séraphine and Henri Rousseau (Le Douanier), whose studio is recreated here.