Sightseeing in Laval - what to see. Complete travel guide

Laval is a town in France with population of approximately 31 thousand of people. The town is located on the bank of the Maynenne River.

In this town are well-developed paper, fabric, sewing industries, pottery, cast iron and lime manufacturing, and dressing. Besides this Laval is the place for conducting various studies in such areas as science, new technologies, electronics, food industry, pharmaceutics, video-audio equipment, and so on. Laval is also a large center of manufacturing of milk products – milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Among the main sights of this town are the medieval castle Château de Laval and the ruins of the town’s gates and walls. These are the main symbols of Laval. In 1020 the town was more like several settlements that were slowly merging into one. In the XIII century here was built a bank and 5 gates. Only the gates named Beucheresse and Woodcutter gates have survived till our days. Besides the palace and gates you can visit La Trinité Cathedral, which interior is decorated with old wall drawings and stone carvings.

Jardin botanique de la Perrine botanic garden located on the bank of the Maenn River features French gardens and English rosary with over a hundred of roses’ types. The botanic garden keeps such unique types of plants as camellias (there are over 20 types of this flower in the garden), ilex, Atlantic cedar and much more. In this garden there is also a memorial of the painter Henri Rousseau who lived in 1844-1910, birds’ open-air cage for rare and exotic pigeons, a house for ducks near the lake, and a hothouse that often works as an exhibition center. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the city, there is a very unusual specialized museum Cosmodome, which will be interesting for a family visit. As you can guess by the name, this museum is dedicated to the space. It has a lot of interesting interactive exhibits. Visitors to the museum will be able to independently launch a space rocket, as well as visit inside its layout. In this museum there are a lot of interesting thematic expositions, as well as exhibits that will impress children.

A hike in a specialized museum Musée Armand-Frappier promises to be cognitive. Despite the fact that this museum positions itself like a child’s museum, it enjoys well-deserved attention in adults. The collection of this museum is devoted to a very interesting topic - bacteria and what harm or benefit they can bring to a person. Children are explained in a game form, how important it is to observe personal hygiene rules, why there are flu epidemics, and what measures modern doctors take to prevent them. In this museum, there are many curious exhibits, including air-tight suits worn by security officers when visiting zones contaminated with dangerous bacteria. This museum is located in a beautiful old mansion. After a tour, its guests can stroll through the picturesque garden.

Fans of contemporary art should visit the art gallery Galerie D'art la Vieille Caserne, which is also located in a very visible historic building. In this gallery, there are paintings of talented local artists, executed in a variety of stylistic directions. In the gallery, you can admire works of art just like that and buy paintings you like at very attractive prices.

Among the historical sites worth mentioning, is the Catholic Church of St. Martin, located near the ancient monastery. This church looks very strict and restrained. In its walls you can see old icons and unique elements of decoration in the style of the past. Not far from the church, there is an ancient cemetery, which will also be interesting for all fans of old architecture to visit. In the vicinity of Laval there are many interesting natural attractions, including very beautiful ancient forests that noble persons used to visit for hunting. In the vicinity of the city, there are several picturesque old villages.