Autumn is behind us, the days are getting shorter and the first cold spells the arrival of Christmas. Winter is here! Antoine and I love this time of year and all the excitement! It smells like chestnuts, the windows are all decked out with tinsel, the trees are twinkling, the children are marvelling – Christmas is just around the corner!
The lights of Laval
For one weekend, Laval gives you the opportunity to prepare for the festive season with the magic of Christmas. Whether you’re with family or friends, we suggest a different kind of getaway in Mayenne.
Mayenne, in the Pays de Loire region, opens its doors to responsible tourism, where the key word is relaxation, or rather “Slowlydays” contraction of Slow & Holidays. A region still little known to travelers, where the locals are very attached to authenticity and ecology, and which offers events to help you have a good time in both summer and winter.
Focus, as Christmas approaches on “Les lumières de Laval”, a popular event that brings together young and old. Held every year for the past 20 years, they provide a real pre-Christmas experience with illuminations and a small craft market. Everything is done to enhance the city and create a truly magical atmosphere. This small town is truly charming, with its half-timbered houses, castles and the home of the famous painter le douanier rousseau.
Did you know that in 2015, 180,000 visitors including 41,000 during the Christmas market weekend came to admire these lights of the great west, its 269 crackling garlands and 554 led elements?
Discover our program for a weekend just the way we like it!
1, 2, 3 Paste
For us, Christmas means all kinds of pastries! By now you’re familiar with our love of cooking, and you know that Antoine secretly dreams of being France’s best pastry chef! Gourmets that we are, we couldn’t pass up this crunchy, gourmet afternoon. In downtown Laval, Emmanuelle greco, welcomes you to its workshop in a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
G ourmets in the kitchen, the name of the establishment, is a modern place where cooking is a pleasure. If you’re not a regular cook, don’t worry. You’ll be put at ease, and the idea is to keep things simple rather than complicated, all in a good mood. And that day we were a happy team!
Emmanuelle knows how to adapt to your desires: beautifully presented dishes, light and original desserts, family cooking, themed menus, formulas for groups of 2 to 12 people with dinner on site or to take away. You decide. You can even use your lunch break to learn how to make a tasty dish that’s easy to repeat every day! Not a bad lunch on the go?
For us, it’s a superb crispy millefeuille, poached pears with hibiscus and white chocolate-lime ganache, all whipped up with our own whipped cream. An original and delicious recipe that made our taste buds salivate and whetted our appetites. It’s a real light, gourmet moment that we recommend and that we’ll be happy to make again at home to impress our loved ones at Christmas. As a side note, we gave this millefeuille recipe to our caterer for our wedding. We revisited it with a whole pear poached in Hibiscus, and our guests were delighted by this light, gourmet dessert.
Night stroll and unusual dinner
Once night has fallen, we head for the center of town, close to the châteaux and the Mayenne (the river that runs through the town and gives its name to the département). This is where most of Laval’s illuminations are concentrated.
A new theme is chosen every year, and 2016 was all about the Ribbon, delicately sprinkled with snow. The Aristide Briand Bridge was a particular highlight, with its giant glittering arches, floating light structures scattered across the river, and colorful water jets dressing up the Mayenne in light! A special highlight is the huge ribbon fir tree in the little square, Laval, which is decked out in an enchanting array of gold and silver lights.
On the place de Trémoille, “le vieux Laval” just behind the Château Neuf, was a fairytale space: the enchanted forest! In the middle of a forest of fir trees, Santa’s elves are busy preparing for the holidays, delivering presents to children all over the world! A number of animated puppet scenes made for a magical setting, and a real Christmas atmosphere pervaded the place, which appealed to young and old alike.
Time for dinner. The tourist office had reserved an original table for us, allowing us to see the luminous water jets from the river: a gourmet dinner cruise on board the tour boat The Vallis Guidonis. Unluckily for us, that evening we had to stay alongside the quayside as the boat broke down – the first time in 12 years! We did have dinner on board, however, and thoroughly enjoyed this mouth-watering meal made with local produce and accompanied by some excellent wines.
We ended our evening with a digestive stroll through the Christmas market. This one’s not big, but it showcases local crafts rather than trinkets brought back from China. We saw some superb original lamps made from recycled metal, as well as community crafts, jewelry and other creations.
Back to Hotel & Spa Perier de Bignon, a beautiful 4-star estate within walking distance of the city center (about 25 minutes from the train station and 10 minutes from the main square)
| Where to sleep in Laval
Housed in a building dating back to the 18th century, the Hotel & Spa Perier de Bignon, is the place for you. This exceptional place of character is a former mansion decorated in a retro chic style, with a U-shaped floor plan typical of the wealthy 18th century residences in Laval.
All 24 rooms are decorated differently. Sleek, contemporary and designer, they’ll seduce you with their simplicity. As for the 3 suites, they offer a breathtaking view of the pool and the French garden, in absolute calm. Rooms have en-suite showers and views of the pool or the old bishop’s palace. The top-of-the-range deluxe rooms, with king or twin beds, offer a wide range of amenities such as walk-in showers and corner baths. Deluxe Terraces offer direct access to the terrace and a breathtaking view of the pool!
The gourmet restaurant the Epicurean offers refined and renowned cuisine, so much so that the place is often full. Don’t forget to book, as the place is very popular in summer on the terrace in the shade of the trees, and in winter in the beautifully decorated dining room.
Don’t leave the hotel without enjoying a moment of relaxation with a facial or body treatment. You can also relax in the spa, jacuzzi, sauna and hammam area, which is very pleasant and well-maintained. The beauticians are trained in the expertise of Sothys, a family-owned brand from Corrèze, which I knew by name but had not yet tried. Sothys is a prestigious brand, synonymous with excellence and refinement in beauty salons and spas around the world (15,000 spas, hotels, and salons, among the most prestigious in the world!). Did you know that they invented the first facelift treatment in 1968? The brand uses natural products dedicated to exploring the plant world and its prodigious active ingredients. Maison Sothys is behind digi-aesthetics, an exclusive modeling method that gives you an unforgettable sensory experience. This method combines Eastern and Western techniques of digito-pressure and modeling. So we jumped at the chance to test the Hanakasumi, an exceptional Japanese-inspired skincare product, is a true invitation to travel and the temptation of a fragrance from elsewhere that convinced Antoine. A unique protocol: glove scrub, full-body and foot massage.
As for me, I tested the famous sugar-salt scrub combined with a fragrance of your choice (lemon, orange blossom and cedar wood, lily and bamboo, frangipani blossom and plum, or green tea and fig tree). The scrub is effective, but it stings the skin a little. What softness once finished! Then comes the modeling: you’re wrapped in cellophane paper with your choice of a uniquely textured modeling product (nourishing oil, soft, smooth cream or melting wax)… it leaves you dreaming? well, I can confirm that this treatment is really top-notch, in a zen and fragrant atmosphere! bravo!
A beautiful address I highly recommend if you’re passing through Laval for Christmas lights or for a short weekend in the year.
√ We love the “Epicurean Relaxation” package, which includes a meal (chef’s menu) + Hanakasumi treatment + 30-minute customized express treatment + access to the spa for 130 euros
√ Simple relaxation package including 1 night at the Perier du Bignon hotel + Breakfast + Dinner (chef’s menu) + 25-minute exfoliation treatment or 20-minute massage and a 30-minute customized express facial treatment + Access to the spa for $204/person or $308 for two people.
➡️ Like all major cities, you’ll find a wide choice of accommodation. In fact, I invite you to take advantage of our discount on Airbnb if you’re looking more for an apartment.
Save up to €40 on your Airbnb booking
➡️ If you haven’t found what you’re looking for in terms of accommodations on Airbnb, we invite you to see the best offers and book on booking .
<strong>Practical information Laval</strong>
- Laval, prefecture of the Mayenne region, is located 2 hours from Nantes, 45 minutes from Rennes and 2.5 hours from Paris (by car/1h10 by train in 2017).
-
- The TGV is a good option for getting to Laval from Paris, with very attractive prices. Count 2h 30 by TGV from Paris. Find your train ticket to Laval at the best price!
- Don’t forget to watch the trains with Ouigo because you can find very low prices! Find low-priced train tickets to Laval.
- Dinner Cruise of Lights (€45/adult and €28/child) aboard the Vallis Guidonis/ The boat leaves at around 8pm, passing through the locks and offering a beautiful view of the illuminated castle. Reservations can be made on the town’s website or at the tourist office / Cruise alone in the heart of the illuminated town 6€/person from 4.45pm to 6pm.
All the information you need to prepare your stay is on theLaval tourist office where you’ll be greeted by a super dynamic team!
This article is our experience. It was made possible thanks to a collaboration with the Laval tourist office, whom we thank for their invitation.
