Discovering

Solesmes Abbey

from the banks of the Sarthe

From peace-and-quiet

to serenity...

Jean-Michel and Véronique, motorhome enthusiasts

“We arrived in Sablé-sur-Sarthe late morning in our motorhome. As we passed over the bridge over the Sarthe, we noticed some motorhomes were parked just below us, next to the river. We decided to stop there too. We watched the boats drifting past, it’s a very pleasant and relaxing spot!

Some motorhome owners from the north of France recommend an exploration alongside the Sarthe to discover the famous Solesmes Abbey. We took their advice and we weren’t disppointed!

Magnificent view

After a 45-minute easy-going stroll along the banks of the river, we arrived at the impressive Solesmes Abbey, located on the opposite bank. We were intrigued so we went into the village to get closer to this monument!

Solesmes Abbey

Once you pass through the entrance, it seems so peaceful and calm. Inside, we discover some very beautiful sculptures and we were even able to watch a service with Gregorian Chant (every day at 5pm).

Before leaving, we had to go into the shop! Videos and a scale model of the Abbey provide us with explanations of how the monks live. We were tempted by the gingerbread made by the monks themselves.

Solesmes Abbey

The 'Tour de l'Abbaye' trail

This hiking or cycling trail leaves from Solesmes and takes you on a discovery of the two Abbey churches.

When we got back to our motorhome, we talked about what we were going to do the next day because we decided to stay overnight. Our friendly neighbours told us about a factory making shortbread biscuits…”

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in this little village of the Sarthe, a very welcoming and perfectly looked-after place!