Sarthe: Le Mans, the 24 Hours and the Plantagenet City

The Sarthe is a département that thrives on contrasts. The roar of engines at the 24 Hours of Le Mans shares the same territory as the silence of the Perche forests. The Cité Plantagenêt, one of the largest medieval quarters in France, overlooks a modern city driven by technology and innovation. Between a thousand-year-old cathedral and a legendary racing circuit, a Cistercian abbey and wooded valleys, the Sarthe reveals an unexpected richness to those who take the time to linger.

Le Mans: Two Thousand Years of History

The Cité Plantagenêt

The historic heart of Le Mans, christened Cité Plantagenêt in honour of the royal dynasty born here, is a medieval jewel covering 20 hectares. Perched on a hilltop above the River Sarthe, this fortified city preserves a 3rd-century Gallo-Roman wall, the best-preserved in France after Rome itself. Its polychrome masonry, laid out in geometric patterns of brick and stone, is unique in Europe.

Inside, cobbled lanes wind between half-timbered houses from the 15th and 16th centuries, Renaissance townhouses and spiral stone staircases. The quarter has served as a backdrop for numerous period films, including Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Cyrano de Bergerac. Every summer, the Nuit des Chimères festival projects luminous artworks onto the historic facades, transforming the city into an enchanting spectacle (free, July to September).

Practical tip: visit the Cité Plantagenêt in the late afternoon when the golden light brings the tuffeau facades to life, then stay for the evening projections in summer.

Cathédrale Saint-Julien

The Cathédrale Saint-Julien is a monument of staggering scale. Its 11th-century Romanesque nave, one of the widest in France, extends into a Gothic choir of soaring lightness supported by a spectacular double-tier flying buttress system. The stained-glass windows span from the 12th to the 16th century, including an exceptional Romanesque ensemble depicting the Ascension, considered among the oldest in France.

Outside, a menhir propped against the cathedral's south flank testifies to the ancient sanctity of the site, long predating Christianity. The parvis offers a sweeping view over the lower town and the river. Entry is free.

The Musée de Tessé

Facing the cathedral, the Musée de Tessé (~6 EUR) occupies the former bishop's palace. Its collections cover European painting from the 14th to the 20th century, with works by Philippe de Champaigne, Nicolas Tournier and Camille Corot. The room devoted to Limoges painted enamels and the full-scale reconstructions of ancient Egyptian tombs (including a life-size funerary chamber) are welcome surprises.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans

The Legendary Race

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is more than a motor race: it is a founding myth of world motorsport. Since 1923, every June, the Circuit de la Sarthe hosts the most prestigious endurance event on the planet. For 24 hours, prototypes and grand touring cars take turns on a 13.626-km course that combines permanent circuit sections with public roads closed for the occasion.

The atmosphere is electric. More than 250,000 spectators fill the grandstands, campsites and brand villages for an entire weekend of celebration. Night stints, headlights slicing through the darkness on the Mulsanne Straight at more than 300 km/h, create an unforgettable spectacle.

Tickets: grandstand seats start at around 40 EUR for the weekend; general admission is often more affordable (~25 EUR). Book several months ahead; accommodation within a 30-km radius fills up early.

The 24 Hours Museum

Outside race week, the Musée des 24 Heures (12 EUR) retraces the history of the event and of the automobile through a collection of more than 120 iconic vehicles. Winning prototypes, Porsches, Ferraris, Audis and pre-war Bentleys stand side by side in a riveting chronological journey. Driving simulators let visitors try their hand at the circuit virtually (5 EUR supplement).

The Circuit Bugatti, a permanent track within the complex, hosts motorsport events throughout the year: MotoGP, Le Mans Classic, public track days (~150-250 EUR to drive the circuit in your own car).

The Royal Abbey of l'Épau

On the edge of Le Mans, the Abbaye Royale de l'Épau (~6 EUR) is a Cistercian gem founded in 1229 by Queen Berengaria of Navarre, widow of Richard the Lionheart. The abbey church, with the architectural purity characteristic of the Cistercian order, contains Berengaria's effigy, the only Queen of England buried in France.

The 13-hectare park surrounding the abbey is a haven of peace: shaded paths, meadow, the River Huisne. The abbey regularly hosts concerts, exhibitions and the L'Épau en Musique festival, which fills the cloister and the church with music in summer. The park is free to enter year-round.

The Perche Sarthois

A Hinterland of Hills and Forests

In the north-east of the département, the Perche sarthois offers a landscape of gentle hills, deep forests and turreted manor houses nestled in greenery. This territory, an extension of the neighbouring Perche in the Orne, is one of the most unspoilt countrysides in western France, still largely unknown to tourists.

The Forêt de Bercé, classified as a forêt d'exception, is the green lung of the Perche sarthois. Its sessile oaks, some several centuries old, reach heights of 40 metres. The Futaie des Clos, the forest's historic heart, is a sanctuary of biodiversity. Waymarked trails (3 to 12 km) allow visitors to immerse themselves in it in any season. Carnuta, the forest interpretation centre in Jupilles (5 EUR), is an excellent starting point.

Le Lude and Its Gardens

The Château du Lude (~10 EUR castle and gardens, ~7 EUR gardens only) is a privately owned residence that has been inhabited since the 15th century. Its facades illustrate four centuries of architecture: Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical. The gardens, bearing the "Jardin remarquable" label, descend in terraces towards the River Loir and are particularly spectacular in June when the roses bloom.

On the first weekend of June each year, the Fête des Jardiniers du Lude gathers nursery owners, landscape designers and enthusiasts at a plant fair renowned throughout France (~8 EUR entry).

Saint-Calais and the Anille Valley

The small town of Saint-Calais, set on the banks of the Anille, charms with its peace and its flower-draped wash houses. The church of Notre-Dame has a remarkable Renaissance facade. The surrounding area lends itself to cycling on quiet, rolling country lanes between apple orchards and wheat fields.

Sarthe Gastronomy

The Sarthe is the birthplace of rillettes, a preparation of pork slow-cooked in its own fat and shredded with a fork. Le Mans rillettes hold an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) and are best eaten spread on country bread with a gherkin on the side. Do not confuse them with Tours rillettes, which are smoother: Le Mans rillettes have a more rustic, fibrous texture.

Poulet de Loué, free-range chicken raised in the south of the département, is one of the most celebrated poultry breeds in France (Label Rouge). Reinettes du Mans, a local apple variety, are used in tarts and ciders. Jasnières, a small, confidential vineyard on the slopes above the Loir, produces a dry Chenin Blanc of remarkable finesse (~8-15 EUR a bottle at the estate).

Practical Information

Getting there: Le Mans is just 54 minutes from Paris by TGV, making it one of the most accessible cities in western France. By car, the A11 from Paris (~2 hours 15 minutes) or the A28 from Tours or Rouen both serve the département.

Getting around: a car is needed for the Perche sarthois and sites outside the city. The SETRAM bus network covers Le Mans and its suburbs, including a modern tramway. Cycling is pleasant along the towpaths beside the Sarthe and Loir rivers.

Best time to visit: the 24 Hours race takes place in mid-June. The Nuit des Chimères illuminates the Cité Plantagenêt from July to September. Spring (April to May) is ideal for the Lude gardens and the Bercé forest. Autumn, with its forest colours, is magnificent in the Perche.

Food budget: expect 11-16 EUR for a weekday lunch menu in a brasserie, 22-35 EUR for an accessible gastronomic dinner. A rillettes tartine and a glass of Jasnières in a wine bar: about 8 EUR of simple happiness.

Don't miss: the Cité Plantagenêt at dusk, the roar of engines at the 24 Hours (even from outside the circuit the atmosphere is infectious), the serenity of the Abbaye de l'Épau, and a walk beneath the giant oaks of the Forêt de Bercé.