The name of this city is heard by everyone who is at least a little interested in motor sport. "24 Hours of Le Mans" - the most famous endurance race, the oldest of all, has been held here since 1923. But Le Mans are not just cars. It is also the largest city in France with a glorious historical past. Here are preserved unique buildings of the Gallo-Roman era, like no other in the whole country, an interesting Old Town, ancient buildings and a labyrinth of old city walls.

How to get to Le Mans

Le Mans Airport is located just behind the Sarthe road, very close to the city. The TGV train takes you to Le Mans from Lyon, Nantes, Rennes and Paris. There are also buses running from the capital to Le Mans.

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A bit of history

The city of Gauls was founded, since which time there were pieces of city walls of the 3rd century. In the 11th century Le Mans captured William the Conqueror, and in the Middle Ages the city was the capital of the county and belonged to the English possessions. Here, the first king from the Plantagenet dynasty was buried, and Henry II Plantagenet was born here

Le Mans entertainments, excursions and sights

Many tourists are surprised by Le Mans with their rich Gallo-Roman heritage. The Tourist Office is located a short walk from the imposing Republic Square, on L'Etoile Street. Here you can, among other things, buy tickets for visiting the race tracks on the days of the championships

The main architectural and historical landmark of Le Mans is the cathedral of St. . Juliana, which began to be built in the Gallo- Roman times . On the basis of old buildings later erected gothic and even not one . Today the oldest surviving cathedral buildings date back to the 11th century . And although outside the cathedral looks somewhat unnatural due to the approaching urban landscape, admire stunning beauty stained glass windows that are not inferior in Chartres Cathedral . In addition, the carved door of the southern entrance and frescoes in the interior .

If you go down the stairs from the cathedral, you will find yourself in the Old Town, to be exact - right on the market square (the market runs on Fridays ) . This area is perfectly preserved, you can admire narrow streets and beautiful houses with front gardens, sit in authentic restaurants and look at souvenir shops .The charm of Old Le Mans is that it is not mentioned in tourist guides, so most of the visitors and the nobility do not know about its existence . Therefore, even here in the season it is not very crowded . You can purposefully bypass the Old Town in an hour and a half, and leisurely - spend here half a day .

Near the old entrance to the cathedral is the Cistercian monastery of l'Epo, which was was founded in the first half of the 13th century by the wife of King Richard the Lionheart, Berengaria. The Queen lived here after the death of her husband and was buried immediately. The abbey was rebuilt in the 15th century and has since survived to an almost unchanged form.

The most ancient building in the city is the Gallo-Roman walls of the 3rd century, the total length of which is about 1,300 m. Even a dozen towers geometric black and white pattern. And the former Roman baths on the current street of Rostov, which date back to the same time period, were only opened in 1980. Now visitors can walk around them with an excursion and see an exhibition organized by the Higher School of Fine Arts.

The church of Notre-Dame du Prés was built on the site where St. Julian was buried, but then completely reconstructed in the 11th and 12th centuries . Here the special stained-glass windows of the 20th century, which replaced the original stained-glass windows that were destroyed during the Second world war . Attract Elena and the church garden . And the other church of Our Lady, Notre-Dame de la Couture, is in the architectural sense so beloved by tourists classical Gothic . The former monastery church, founded in the 6th century, has preserved both stained glass and carved stone ornaments , and the St. Bernard's shroud of the 9th century, and the impressive crypt .

In Le Mans, in fact, not one, but several racing tracks. The main one is the Sart route, which is used for "24 hours". Part of the route is the public highway, so when the competitions are not held, anyone can ride a piece of the famous route (it's enough to go from Le Mans to the south, towards Tura). And on the short track of Bugatti there is the MotoGP championship and various French club competitions

The city is famous for its thematic entertainment parks. In the aquacentre "Atlantida" adults and children are waiting for a lot of swimming pools and slides, toboggan, jacuzzi, saunas and beach. In the "Papa City" - entourage of the Wild West and a lot of roller coaster, as well as a small farm with animals, boating in a park lake and a model railway.

There are several museums in the city that are interesting enough . In the Sarthe , that on the edge of the Bugatti and Sarta trails, you can view the extensive collection of vehicles . Here is the earliest history of motorcycle races, there is a collection of 150 cars of the early 19th century and the racing cars of the most famous pilots of the past and present .Among the attractions offered by the museum is the speed track simulator . The Green Museum with many natural history exhibits owns 2 thousand . animal exhibits . And in the water museum you can see large aquariums and ecosystem models of local rivers .

@ The Tessa Museum is perhaps the most famous in the city; he occupies the former episcopal palace. The museum exhibits paintings and artifacts from the times of Ancient Egypt, as well as the panel of the tomb of Geoffrey Plantagenet of the 12th century. And in the museum of Queen Berengaria, which is located in the homonymous mansion and two adjoining medieval buildings, an impressive collection of art objects is stored: paintings, ceramics, glass-blowing products and furniture

Le Mans neighborhood

Le Mans location in the valley The Loire makes it an excellent base for exploring the various small towns and villages around. Hence it is convenient to go to the day in Angers, Saumur and Tours

approximately 40 km due south of Le Mans is Le Lude castle -. One of the undisputed jewels in the crown of the Loire castles . This low Renaissance palace, amazingly neat, symmetrical and precise . It was built in the 10th and 11th centuries, first from a tree . At first the castle was owned by the Counts of Anjou, then in the 15th century, it was received by Marshal Rez, who helped to beat Le Lud from the English .During the French Revolution, the castle was almost completely destroyed, but in the 19th century, the heirs of the last mistress, Madame de Vevil, started the restoration . Today, the castle is still owned by the descendants of this family, but look at it, tourists can .

External finishing lock - entirely and stucco reliefs, and interiors - perfectly preserved evidence of the era and a life purely secular owners of estates . where you can see the amazing furniture, huge chandeliers, outstanding paintings Raphaelite school . offers view and basement Here the medieval simplicity prevails . There is in Le Lude and the Devil's Tower, with which the corresponding medieval legend . is connected. And in the area around the castle the English-style park is combined with the blossoming French garden .