DESCRIPTION : *** Local Caption *** Three events in Perche sarthois The little chapel of Saint-Anne in the forest of Vibraye. TITLE: Vos plus belles photos LEGEND: La chapelle Saint-Anne in Vibraye. Archives Le Maine Libre *** Local Caption *** Three events in Perche sarthois The little Sainte-Anne chapel in Vibraye forest.

Vibraye At the edge of the forest

The commune of Vibraye is marked by the presence of the forest. In the early 17th century, its owner, the Marquis de Vibraye, set up forges on the Braye river at Champrond, where charcoal from the forest fed furnaces producing cast iron and iron until 1913.

The forest is privately owned but crossed by communal paths, so you’ll be able to stroll freely. The hiking trails in the heart of the forest partly follow the route taken by the convoys loaded with heavy iron bars to the workshop in the hamlet of La Fenderie, on the pond of the same name.

Explore the forest on foot and mountain bike

Now silent once more, the only evidence of the forest’s past activity is the network of paths you’ll discover on your walk!

Today, 300 hectares of the forest are classified Natura 2000.

N°27 : Circuit du Père By

15.5km

Pédestre3h 15minFacile
Boucle

Vicbraïa

28.0km

VTT3h 30minDifficile
Boucle

Other tours

Sainte-Anne Chapel

Located on the edge of the forest, on the border between the Christianized world and the forbidding world of the forest, legend has it that the chapel was built to house a statue of Saint Anne discovered in the forest and miraculously too heavy to be transported to the parish church.

Dating back to the 17th c., the construction uses local materials: flint rubble for the walls, shingles for the roof, and a turned-wood clerestory to allow the statue to be seen during processions.

Discover Vibraye

After your walk in the forest, take the opportunity to discover Vibraye: the Saint-Jean Baptiste church, shopkeepers and the Friday market, the municipal campsite and the Quai des Arts, fishing and cycling circuits…

Located on Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the tourist office is open Tuesday mornings, Wednesdays and Fridays all day, and Thursday and Saturday afternoons.