Four days in a self drive barge on the river Sarthe with your family
Discover the Sarthe valley during a short trip on a licence-free boat starting in Sablé-sur-Sarthe. Take on the guise of an adventurer, a knight, or a potter in order to learn and to enjoy yourselves !
Day 1: Sablé-sur-Sarthe – Juigné-sur-Sarthe
Meet up in the early afternoon at the river base in Sablé-sur-Sarthe to take charge of your licence-free self drive barge. Weigh anchor and set a northerly course towards Juigné-sur-Sarthe. In less than an hour of travelling you will arrive at your first stop in this charming market town perched on a hill which dominates the valley.
Day 2 : Juigné-sur-Sarthe - Avoise
From the lock at Juigné you can access the leisure park Terre Activ’ located on the bank of the river Sarthe. It offers a large number of sports and unusual activities for young and old alike.
Attempt the “Escape Challenge”
Become an adventurer by taking on the “Escape Challenge”: an outdoor escape game for the entire family! Handcuffed together as a team, you have 60 minutes to free yourselves!
Continue your cruise for another 1.5 hours until you reach Avoise, a pretty village high above the river Sarthe. Four kilometres from here there is the mediaeval village of d’Asnières-sur-Vègre which you can visit by bike the next day. Treat yourself to a vintage-style e-bike from the camping site “L’œil dans le retro”.
Day 3: Avoise - Malicorne
Dedicate half a day to the discovery of the small unique town of Asnières-sur-Vègre. Wander its lanes around the mediaeval bridge, admire the murals at the Saint-Hilaire church and visit the Manoir de la Cour manor house.
Walk in the shoes of a knight
Learning about history while also enjoying yourself is the core of the Manoir de la Cour. Dressed up as knights or princesses, children can develop their skills in a giant game of snakes and ladders and explore countless teaching and playing materials.
Setting off from Avoise it takes 2.5 hours to get to Malicorne, known for its long tradition of pottery and awarded the label of Ville & Métiers d’art (Town & Arts & Crafts).
Day 4: Malicorne - Solesmes
Set aside the morning to visit the Museum of Faience and Ceramics and discover the artists’ workshops in Malicorne-sur-Sarthe. For more than 300 years, the openwork faience from Malicorne has shaped the village’s reputation.
Practice the art of pottery
Enjoy yourselves by creating a little artwork made of ceramic slip during your visit to the Museum of Faience and Ceramics. Here, large and small can experiment with clay in all its states.
Weigh anchor for a cruise of about four hours to Solesmes and its abbey which towers over the river. Populated by a community of Benedictine monks, the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes is an important site of Gregorian chant.
Return to Sablé-sur-Sarthe
At dawn you will return to Sablé-sur-Sarthe after 40 minutes of travel. The port, the castle and the viaduct over the river Sarthe invite you to discover the town’s heritage. Don’t miss out on trying one of the famous little shortbreads which are part of France’s culinary heritage.
