Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine'') is a protected area of

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

and

bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may als ...

located in the French

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and Pays de la Loire.

Geography

Forest in Andaines, Orne, France - 20040502

Spanning the departments of

Orne Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Manche Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ill ...

, and

Sarthe Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...

, the Normandie-Maine park was created in 1975 with a total area of . As of 2011, the parkland has expanded to a total area of and includes 164

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...

with fourteen associated partner communes; the number of inhabitants within the park is approximately 171,000. The park encompasses the Sarthe river valley and the large Forest of Andaines.

Member communes

* Aillières-Beauvoir •

Ambrières-les-Vallées Ambrières-les-Vallées () is a commune in the Mayenne department in northwestern France. It is on the border of Normandy. Population Notable people * Louis Tanquerel des Planches (1810–1862), physician and researcher See also *Communes ...

•

Antoigny Antoigny () is a former commune in the Orne department in northwestern France. On 12 January 2016, Antoigny was annexed by the commune of La Ferté-Macé. Population The inhabitants are known as ''Antoniaciens''.Assé-le-Boisne • Aunay-les-Bois • Avrilly • *

Bagnoles-de-l'Orne Bagnoles-de-l'Orne is a former commune in the Orne department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2000, Tessé-la-Madeleine and Bagnoles-de-l'Orne merged becoming one town called Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, however, it adopted the former Insee code of T ...

•

Barenton Barenton () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. See also *Communes of the Manche department *Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel r ...

• La Baroche-sous-Lucé • Beaulandais • Beauvain • La Bellière • Bion • Boitron • Le Bouillon • Boulay-les-Ifs • Bourg-le-Roi • Bursard • *

Carrouges Carrouges () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. The inhabitants are known as ''Carrougiens'' and ''Carrougiennes''.Ceaucé • Le Cercueil • Chahains • Le Champ-de-la-Pierre • Champfrémont • Champsecret • La Chapelle-d'Andaine • La Chapelle-près-Sées • La Chaux • Ciral • Colombiers • La Coulonche • Coulonges-sur-Sarthe • Couptrain • Couterne • Crissé • * Domfront • Dompierre • *

Essay An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...

• * La Ferrière-Béchet • La Ferrière-Bochard •

La Ferrière-aux-Étangs La Ferrière-aux-Étangs () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. See also *Communes of the Orne department *Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel régional N ...

• La Ferté-Macé • Fontenai-les-Louvets • Forges • Francheville • La Fresnaye-sur-Chédouet • * Gandelain • Geneslay • Ger • Gesvres • * Haleine • La Haute-Chapelle • Hauterive • Héloup • Le Housseau-Brétignolles • * Joué-du-Bois • Juvigny-sous-Andaine • * Lalacelle • Laleu • La Lande-de-Goult •

Lassay-les-Châteaux Lassay-les-Châteaux () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. History Lassay-les-Châteaux is classified as a Petite Cité de Caractère, or Small City of Character. The small town of character label is awarded to sm ...

• Le Grez • Lignières-Orgères • Livaie • Livet-en-Saosnois • Longuenoë •

Lonlay-l'Abbaye Lonlay-l'Abbaye () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France, situated midway between the towns of Domfront and Flers. It has a beautiful abbey and town square and is surrounded by walks and scenery, including the local viewpoin ...

•

Loré Loré is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Juvigny Val d'Andaine.

• Louzes • Lucé • * Magny-le-Désert • Marchemaisons •

Méhoudin Méhoudin () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. Points of interest National heritage sites *Domaine de Monceaux originally an eighteenth centaury Manor house, that was completely rebuilt identically, but with a concr ...

• Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe • Le Ménil-Broût • Ménil-Erreux •

Le Ménil-Scelleur Le Ménil-Scelleur () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. Geography The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Danny and Le Ménil-Scelleur. It is in size. The highest point in the co ...

• Mieuxcé • Mont-Saint-Jean • La Motte-Fouquet • Moulins-le-Carbonnel • * Neufchâtel-en-Saosnois •

Neuilly-le-Bisson Neuilly-le-Bisson () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. See also *Communes of the Orne department *Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel régional Normandi ...

•

Neuilly-le-Vendin Neuilly-le-Vendin () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. See also *Communes of Mayenne *Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine'' ...

• * Pacé • La Pallu • Perrou • Pezé-le-Robert • Pré-en-Pail • *

Radon Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through ...

• Ravigny • Rennes-en-Grenouilles • La Roche-Mabile • Rouellé • Rouessé-Vassé • Rouperroux • * Saint-Aubin-d'Appenai • Saint-Brice • Saint-Calais-du-Désert •

Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. It lies on the river Sarthe from Alençon, the chef-lieu of the department, and some west of Paris. History The place is named for Serenicus (or ''Generi ...

• Saint-Christophe-le-Jajolet • Saint-Cyr-en-Pail • Saint-Denis-de-Villenette • Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon •

Saint-Didier-sous-Écouves Saint-Didier-sous-Écouves () is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune L'Orée-d'Écouves. Notable buildings and places National heritage sites *Markers of Forê ...

• Saint-Ellier-les-Bois •

Saint-Fraimbault Saint-Fraimbault () is a Communes of France, commune in the Orne Departments of France, department in north-western France. The town is named after the 6th-century AD Saint (also known as ''Fraimbaud, Fraimbourg, Frambaud, Frambourg, Frambour, ...

• Saint-Georges-de-Rouelley • Saint-Georges-le-Gaultier • Saint-Gervais-du-Perron • Saint-Gilles-des-Marais • Saint-Hilaire-la-Gérard • Saint-Jean-du-Corail • Saint-Julien-sur-Sarthe • Saint-Léger-sur-Sarthe • Saint-Léonard-des-Bois • Saint-Martin-des-Landes •

Saint-Martin-l'Aiguillon Saint-Martin-l'Aiguillon () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. Geography The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Grande Fichetière, Le Beauchêne, Pré de la Fosse and Saint-Mar ...

• Saint-Maurice-du-Désert • Saint-Michel-des-Andaines • Saint-Nicolas-des-Bois •

Saint-Ouen-le-Brisoult Saint-Ouen-le-Brisoult () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. The inhabitants are known as ''Audoniens'' and ''Audoniennes''.Saint-Patrice-du-Désert • Saint-Paul-le-Gaultier • Saint-Pierre-des-Nids • Saint-Pierre-sur-Orthe • Saint-Rémy-de-Sillé • Saint-Rémy-du-Val •

Saint-Rigomer-des-Bois Saint-Rigomer-des-Bois is a former commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France. In 2015 it became part of Villeneuve-en-Perseigne. Its population was 453 in 2019. See also *Communes of the Sarthe ...

• Saint-Samson •

Saint-Sauveur-de-Carrouges Saint-Sauveur-de-Carrouges (, literally ''Saint-Saviour of Carrouges'') is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. As of 2019, the commune had a total population of 252 residents. Geography The commune is made up of the follo ...

•

Sainte-Marguerite-de-Carrouges Sainte-Marguerite-de-Carrouges (, literally ''Sainte-Marguerite of Carrouges'') is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. As of 2019, the commune had a total population of 223 residents. The commune is named for Marguerite de ...

• Sainte-Marie-du-Bois •

Sainte-Marie-la-Robert Sainte-Marie-la-Robert () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. As of 2017, the commune had a population of 85 inhabitants. Geography The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Sorièr ...

• La Sauvagère •

Sées Sées () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. It lies on the river Orne from its source and north-by-northeast of Alençon. Sées station has rail connections to Argentan, Caen and Le Mans. Name The town's name deriv ...

•

Sept-Forges Sept-Forges () is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Juvigny Val d'Andaine.Sillé-le-Guillaume Sillé-le-Guillaume () is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France, named after Guillaume de Sillé. In the fifteenth century the lord of the manor was Sir John Fastolf of Caister in Norfolk ...

• Sougé-le-Ganelon • * Tanville • Tessé-Froulay • Thubœuf • Torchamp • * Les Ventes-de-Bourse • Villaines-la-Carelle • Villepail •

Vimarcé Vimarcé () is a former commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2021, Vimarcé was merged into the new commune Vimartin-sur-Orthe. See also *Communes of the Mayenne department *Parc naturel régional Normandie-Ma ...

• Vingt-Hanaps • Vrigny •

References

External links

Normandie-Maine PNR Activities Report
(2010)

{{Coord, 48, 29, 24, N, 0, 13, 17, W, source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title Regional natural parks of France Geography of Orne Geography of Manche Geography of Mayenne Geography of Sarthe Protected areas established in 1975 Tourist attractions in Manche Tourist attractions in Orne Tourist attractions in Mayenne Tourist attractions in Sarthe