Cle France: "The town has a number of good restaurants and plenty of useful shops and other facilities. Leisure pursuits in Bagnoles include tennis and golf, and of course, thermal baths and treatments. The town developed and prospered as a health resort around its thermal spa waters and grand buildings such as the 'Grand Hotel' as well as the picturesque lake, gardens, riverside walks, cascades, and forest as well as many other attractions including good sports facilities...Apart from the spa waters, it is perhaps the fine examples of the "belle-epoque" (approx 1884-1914) architecture that Bagnoles-de-l'Orne is best known for. Particularly fine examples can be found in the "quartier belle-epoque" towards the south of the town.  The "belle-epoque" style came to an abrupt end with the First World War, to be replaced when the war ended by the new "art-deco" style, also very well represented in Bagnoles."

The Times: "... Normandy’s only spa resort, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, where you come for the cure, but stay for the social, cultural and natural delights. In the spa’s heyday, pre-First World War and through the Années Folles (“Crazy Years”, or Roaring Twenties), these attractions — together with Christophle’s marketing acumen — lured the great and not-always-good from across Europe, including royals from Britain, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Romania and Greece. In the postwar years, though, those affluent aristos and the bourgeoisie decamped to more exotic climes, replaced by elderly, state-supported patients ambling the town’s thoroughfares and lakeside promenades between treatments. Today, Bagnoles’ attractions — particularly its gastronomic offerings — are once again wooing the in-the-know French. But it’s health tourism that’s at the forefront."

 Normandy Then and Now: "I am delighted to find myself in this quiet little Norman bathing-place, just getting known to the French and foreign public. It is hardly a village; the collection of villas, small houses, shops, and two enormous hotels surrounding the establishment seems to have sprung up quite suddenly and casually in the midst of the green fields and woods, shut in on all sides almost by the Forest of Ardennes, which makes a beautiful curtain of verdure.

There are villas dotted about everywhere, of every possible style; Norman chalets, white and grey, with the black crossbeams that one is so familiar with all over this part of the country; English cottages with verandas and bow-windows..."

Jasper L Orne chose Bagnole after three other towns: "Had the same question 10 years ago after vacationing in many places in France. We moved to the Aix-en-Provence area for work, and it was gorgeous but it was a 3 season kind of place. Then retired in Brittany close to the coast, which was more affordable, less people, quite windy, no snow unless you‘re an hour away from the coast. It like the Outer Banks for the French, many vacation homes and restaurants that are busy in summer, and closed in winter. We are currently in a spa town in Normandie, and for us we think we’ve cracked the code. The 4 seasons are here, just not too much of any one of them. Cafes, restaurants, cinema, and a casino open year round with a population of 3500. Access by bus/train to Paris in 2 hours, and an hour south of Caen. No mountains to speak of in any of these places, just rolling hills and peaceful uncluttered landscape."