Parc naturel régional du Perche, Regional natural park in Normandy and Centre-Val de Loire, France
The Parc naturel régional du Perche is a regional natural park covering rolling lands with forests, hedgerow landscapes, and wet meadows spread across the border of two departments. The park includes numerous manor houses, castles, and farms built with local stone and slate that reflect centuries of rural settlement.
This area was established as a regional natural park in 1998 to protect the landscape and its heritage. The protection came after centuries of human activity had shaped the bocage landscape with hedgerows and woodlands.
The area is shaped by its tradition of using hedgerows and forest groves to structure the landscape and create shelter for livestock and crops. Walking through the villages, you notice how locals have built their homes and farms with stone and slate in ways that blend with the rolling terrain.
The Courboyer Manor House serves as the main visitor center with information, a shop, and restaurant facilities. The park offers various trails and walking routes, with spring and summer being the best seasons for exploring when paths are dry and easy to navigate.
The park is home to a population of Percheron horses, an old breed known for strength and stamina that visitors can see grazing in the meadows and working on farms. These horses remain an important part of the landscape and local farming traditions.
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