Changé brings together green trails, wetlands and local history, with several different connections to water. In the town centre, the Chemin des lavoirs tells the story of the washhouses; the Parc environnemental invites visitors to observe nature in the wetlands. At the Plan d’eau de Rochefort, the landscape is shaped by a trail through a green valley and measures to improve accessibility. Historical buildings and the Les 2 Rives circular route round out the picture. This gives you several themes to choose from when planning your visit: local history, landscape or a longer route.
Washhouse history in the town centre
The Chemin des lavoirs is a footpath in a green setting in the centre of Changé. Running alongside the water, it tells the story of the washhouses. The trail thus combines walking with a specific theme from the town’s history. If you want to explore Changé without focusing solely on individual buildings, this trail offers a different way to discover the town’s past. Trail conditions can change; check them when planning your visit.
Nature watching by the water
The Parc environnemental covers around 30 hectares around the Plan d’eau du Port in the heart of Changé. A boardwalk runs through the wetlands. Along it, visitors can discover the variety of flora and fauna while helping to protect the area. Here, nature watching is part of the experience, and the trail’s purpose also takes the protection of the site into account.
A different landscape awaits at the Plan d’eau de Rochefort: a nearly two-kilometre-long trail runs through a green valley beside the Ruisseau de Rochefort to a pond on a dry, wooded hillside. The route links the valley, stream and hillside, making it quite different from the wetlands of the Parc environnemental. At the Plan d’eau, ramps, a firm path made of compacted fine gravel and a widened pontoon are intended to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility. The accompanying caption is dated September 2014; if you rely on these features, check their current condition before your visit.
Buildings and everyday history
The present-day church of Saint-Pierre in Changé was built from 1869 onwards and completed ten years later. The Black Madonna on the road to Laval was erected in 1870. In the Châtaigneraie, the Glacière is another point of interest in the town’s history: built in the 1830s, it was filled in winter with ice from the Mayenne to keep food cool. Together, these places offer insight into a range of subjects—from church construction and a monument erected in 1870 to the former practice of storing food with natural ice.
Compare routes
When planning, you can compare the nearly two-kilometre route at the Plan d’eau de Rochefort with the Les 2 Rives circular route: this route is 7.9 kilometres long and starts in Changé. It takes in Changé, the banks of the Mayenne and some steep sections through woodland. The distances and route types give you a practical basis for choosing between a shorter walk and a longer circular route. Check the trail markers before setting out; terrain and trail markings can change.
Discover more destinations: La Rouaudière, Saint-Thomas-de-Courceriers, Daon, Trans, Juvigné, Montenay, Neau, Montjean.
For the wider travel overview: Mayenne.
