The best section of the valley is south of St-Lô through the Roches de Ham to Tessy-sur-Vire. The Roches de Ham are a pair of sheer rocky promontories high above the river. Though promoted as "viewing tables", the pleasure lies as much in the walk up, through lanes lined with blackberries, hazelnuts and rich orchards. Downstream from the Roches, and a good place to stop for the night, is LA CHAPELLE-SUR-VIRE. Its church, towering majestically above the river, has been an object of pilgrimage since the twelfth century. Next to the bridge on the lower road is the Auberge de la Chapelle (tel 02.33.56.32.83; under €30), a good but rather expensive restaurant with a few cheap rooms. At TESSY-SUR-VIRE, 5km on, there's little to see other than the river itself, though the town has a luxurious campsite, along with a couple of hotels and a Wednesday market.
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