Préaux offers several distinct reasons to visit: architectural history, winegrowing and a walk through the rural surroundings of Mayenne. The Eglise Saint-Martin and Manoir de Favry represent different aspects of its heritage. The Maison du Pin combines winegrowing with a guided tour and wine tasting, while the “Circuit de la Croix de Pierre à Ballée et Préaux” takes you through the Mayenne countryside. When looking for a holiday rental, you can choose based on which of these themes you want to shape your trip.
Eglise Saint-Martin: Architectural History and Interior
The Eglise Saint-Martin was rebuilt between 1856 and 1869, and its interior from the second half of the 19th century has been preserved in its entirety. This brings together two aspects of the same period: the building’s renewal and its preserved interior. The church has been listed as a Monument historique since 9 November 2000. This date concerns its protected status, not its architectural history. The cultural context can therefore be understood as a sequence: the rebuilding and interior in the 19th century, followed later by its listing as a protected monument.
Manoir de Favry: Residence and Gardens
At the Manoir de Favry, the focus is a large residence dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The manor also has four well-maintained gardens with centuries-old trees. Compared with the church, the focus shifts to historic residential architecture and its associated gardens. The gardens and old trees add another dimension to the heritage represented by the residence.
Winegrowing and a Tour at the Maison du Pin
The Maison du Pin is a pioneering vineyard in Mayenne and is home to one of the département’s few vineyards. Across 2.2 hectares, the vineyard organically grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, Syrah and Chenin. These agricultural details may change. If a particular grape variety matters to your travel plans, check the latest information in advance.
A tour of the Maison du Pin includes the historic fortified farmstead, the rebuilt manor house, the vineyards and the wine cellar; it ends with a wine tasting. Tours are by reservation and subject to availability. Check both in advance if you want to make this a firm part of your plans. The tour brings together architectural and winegrowing aspects before concluding with the tasting.
Hike: Croix des Chouans Along the Route
The “Circuit de la Croix de Pierre à Ballée et Préaux” is 12 kilometres long and takes about three hours. It passes through the landscapes and rural surroundings of Mayenne. Along the way, the route highlights the 3-metre-high Croix des Chouans monument. It was erected in the 19th century and bears a medieval cross. Two distinct periods meet here: the time when the monument was built and the much older cross. The route’s distance and approximate duration provide a timeframe for planning your hike, while the monument adds a specific point of cultural and historical interest.
Trip Focus and Accommodation Search
When looking for a holiday rental in Préaux, you can choose according to your preferred focus: church and residential architecture, winegrowing with a tour and tasting, or hiking in the Mayenne countryside. The planning also differs: reservations and availability for the tour need to be checked in advance, while the walking route takes approximately three hours.
Discover more destinations: Larchamp, Montigné-Le-Brillant, Levaré, Saint-Ellier-du-Maine, Fougerolles-Du-Plessis, Gorron, Sainte-Suzanne, Saint-Pierre-Sur-Orthe.
For the broader travel overview: Mayenne.
