Family cycling escape in Southern Mayenne

 Meeting the Animals

When we wake up, we head to the château’s large lounge, where a generous breakfast is waiting for us. We take our time enjoying it before going for a walk around the grounds. Once our little tour is over, it’s time for the next stage of our trip: the farm campsite at La Viotterie! But first, we’ve planned a stop at the Refuge de l’Arche, about twenty minutes away by bike.

The Refuge de l’Arche is a wonderful place, one that really deserves a slow and thoughtful visit. For about two hours, we stroll along the paths, taking the time to admire the animals and read their stories on the signs in front of each enclosure. We’re moved by the dedication of the staff, who devote their lives to rescuing and caring for animals. We end our visit with lunch at the refuge’s snack bar.

After that, we hop onto the greenway, which we follow all the way to La Ferrière‑de‑Flée. We’re lucky with the weather — it’s absolutely beautiful, making the route even more stunning. The greenway is well‑maintained and a real pleasure to ride. When we reach La Ferrière‑de‑Flée, we leave it to take the D180 road toward Châtelais, then the D193 and finally the old Roman road leading to the campsite. We were a bit worried about riding on the road with our son in the bike trailer, but it turns out these roads are very quiet.

When we arrive, Julie greets us warmly and shows us to our bungalow, telling us about the place and its philosophy: disconnection and slow living. We quickly go see the animals, then head back because it’s bedtime — and our little one falls asleep peacefully after such a big day. He discovered so many things today, especially some animal species like lemurs and macaques, which fascinated and amused him!

 Lazy Day at the Campsite

Today, we’ve planned a rest day so we can take it easy and enjoy this precious family time. After breakfast on the terrace of our bungalow, we decide to explore the farm and relax by the pond. As lunchtime approaches, we hop back on our bikes to ride the few kilometers to the village’s community‑run grocery store, where we’ve planned to stock up for both lunch and dinner.

For the rest of the afternoon, we alternate between reading and napping by the pool — the perfect slow‑paced day.

 A Cabin in the Heart of Nature

After taking our time over breakfast and saying goodbye to the farm animals, we set off toward Renazé, where we make a stop to buy a picnic before joining the Renazé–Laval greenway. Since we haven’t planned any visits for the day, we take things slowly, making regular stops so our son can enjoy his first days fully immersed in nature. We also take a short detour to La Selle‑Craonnaise for an afternoon snack, and we find just what we need at the Esat du Ponceau shop, which sells a wide variety of local products. On the menu: fruit juice, Mayenne biscuits, and fresh fruit!

We arrive in the late afternoon at our accommodation for the night: La Chouette Cabane. It’s a fabulous site in the middle of the countryside, home to four cabins, a gypsy caravan, and plenty of domestic and wild animals we can observe thanks to the binoculars kindly lent to us by Gwendolyne, the owner. We’re pleasantly surprised by the comfort of our cabin (the Cabane Hulotte) and the breathtaking view it offers over the ponds and the estate.

In the early evening, dinner is delivered right at the foot of the cabin, and thanks to a clever pulley system, we don’t even need to climb down to retrieve it. What a joy to have a delicious meal delivered and enjoy it perched four meters high, with a stunning view over nature!

 The Little Versailles of Mayenne

Here we are: it’s the last day of our little getaway. To head back, we return to the greenway, but decide to make a short stop in Craon, as we want to visit the gardens of the Château — often called “The Little Versailles of Mayenne.” We slip our payment into the letterbox provided for this purpose and begin strolling through the gardens. The setting, enhanced by the spring season, is incredibly peaceful and allows us to fully savor these final moments of vacation.

Before hitting the road again, we have lunch at La Crêperie du Château de Craon. The meal is delicious, but what we appreciate most is the warm service and the friendliness of the waitress.

We eventually make our way back to Laval after five beautiful days. And despite our son’s young age — and the fact that he can’t speak yet — it’s clear that he loved the trip. And so did we.