Known as the red city, Le Mans has more than one trump card up its sleeve to win you over. This city has an undeniable place in the history of western France. The old city of Le Mans, authentic and immersive, has been called since 2003, La Cité Plantagenêt, to recall its recent history. It is named after the famous princely dynasty of Henry II, who became King of England, and his son Richard the Lionheart, whose widow lived in the city for over 25 years. Le Mans is also a natural city. It has many green spaces, including some of the most famous gardens in Europe. The 24-hour motor race has made its reputation worldwide. As everyone knows, Le Mans is known worldwide for its sporting events. There are many quality cultural events and its musical events and festivals are known far beyond the walls of the city.
"La maison du Pilier-rouge" houses the tourist and heritage reception of the City of Le Mans. All year round, as part of the "Ville d'art et d'histoire" label, it offers a shop, exhibitions, heritage classes, events and guided tours
A comfortable and technically well-equipped space, it hosts public and professional events. The agenda is varied : theatre, concerts, opera, dance, exhibitions... There is something for everyone to enjoy.
The City of Le Mans offers exhibition spaces dedicated to art in all its diversity, with particular emphasis on local creation. The aim is to encourage encounters between the works, the artists and the public.
Through 140 vehicles, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest tells you about the epic of the automobile in the Sarthe and the success of its international event.
Formerly an industrial wasteland, the Ile-aux-Planches has become a green space. A beautiful combination of mineral and plant life, this modern park extends over several levels.
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Gué-de-Maulny Park
Covering an area of 16.5 hectares, the Gué-de-Maulny Park combines a bucolic and urban environment. Very near the South Station, it is a haven of peace on the banks of the Huisne.
Created on the initiative of the Sarthe Horticultural Society, the Jardin des plantes has been a listed site since 1945. The management and maintenance of the site is now the responsibility of the City of Le Mans, which is committed to preserving its originality.
The Nature arch offers visitors a vast natural area representative of the main landscapes of the Sarthe. Along the paths, visitors will discover the river, the forest and can visit the Maison de l'eau, the Maison de la forêt and the Maison de la Prairie. The sports fields and children's playgrounds will satisfy both young and old. In all, 500 hectares of nature are permanently open to the public.
The park is located on the green corridor that links Le Mans to Coulaines. This former orchard has been transformed into a public park and still retains its Sarthe bocage appearance.
The Park enchants the heart of the city, in the immediate vicinity of the Plantagenet City and the cathedral. You can admire some very beautiful trees.
With a surface area of 2.5 hectares, the Parc de Verdigné is located in the north-eastern sector, not far from downtown. This former manor garden is the ideal place for a family walk.
Located at the bottom of the rue Gambetta, the Théodore-Monod park comprises two hectares of greenery with varied atmospheres, in place of a former barracks. Its large waterfall, lined with stone, offers a beautiful wave effect.
Built between the 11th and 15th centuries, the Saint-Julien cathedral presents a diversity of styles which find their coherence in a fusion of russet, limestone and glass. This richness makes it the "archaeological" cathedral of medieval religious art.
Protected by its Roman and medieval walls, the Plantagenet City offers a rare combination of timber-framed houses, Renaissance hotels and cobbled streets. Full of charm, it is the setting for many film and television shoots.
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The Roman wall, an irregular quadrilateral 450 m long and 200 m wide, protected the historic core of the city for over fifteen centuries. Today it is the best preserved city wall in the entire ancient Roman Empire, along with those of Rome and Byzantium.
The Hôtel-Dieu de Coëffort, which is now the church of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc, was built at the end of the 12th century by Henry II Plantagenet, King of England and Count of Maine, to accommodate the sick. Coëffort means "comfort".
Originally built in the 5th century on the site of the tomb of Saint Julien, the church of the former Saint Julien abbey was rebuilt in the 11th and 12th centuries.
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Eglise de Saint-Benoît
The silhouette of the church of Saint-Benoît, with its four-metre high tower, stands out at the foot of the hillock of the Plantagenet City.
After the Wars of Religion, new religious orders set themselves the task of re-evangelising society. In this context, the Visitation order was founded. In Le Mans, a monastery was founded in 1634 by the Countess de la Ferrière, from the de Tessé family.
Rebuilt after the end of the Hundred Years' War, the parish church of Saint-Ouen-des Fossés was deemed dilapidated and too small to accommodate the parishioners and students of the new Oratory College. The new church was built between 1675 and 1683
After the Wars of Religion, new religious orders set themselves the task of re-evangelising society. In this context, the Visitation order was founded. In Le Mans, a monastery was founded in 1634 by the Countess de la Ferrière, from the de Tessé family.
Rebuilt after the end of the Hundred Years' War, the parish church of Saint-Ouen-des Fossés was deemed dilapidated and too small to accommodate the parishioners and students of the new Oratory College. The new church was built between 1675 and 1683
For several years, the Plantagenet City has been the setting for magical projections. For the past four years, these works have been renewed and new technological avenues explored.
A unique festival, Le Mans fait son cirque brings together inhabitants and artists, neighbourhoods and city centres, streets, theatres and marquees, and cultural actors and actresses for a great celebration at the end of June. Juggling, theatre, acrobatics, clowns, dance, music, magic...
The Bebop Festival mixes headliners and emerging artists, pop-rock sounds and current music, such as hip-hop or electro. An eclectic programme spread over a week in November.
The “Femmes d'Histoire” conferences were initiated in Le Mans in 1999 by the Service des droits de la Femme et de l'égalité (Women's Rights and Equality Department) to highlight the actions of women in the past and today and to put their commitment to social, artistic, economic or political life into perspective.
Mans'art In April, the Plantagenet City hosts the Man's Art arts and crafts fair, as part of the European days on the same theme. This is an opportunity to discover, in a spirit of transmission, the skills and craftsmen behind the restoration of heritage.
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (A.C.O.), creator and organiser of the "24 Hours of Le Mans", was born in 1906 from the passion of men who saw the automobile as a major invention that would revolutionise the 20th century.
La Maison du Pilier-rouge, the tourist and heritage reception of the City of Le Mans. All year round, as part of the "Ville d'art et d'histoire" label, it offers a shop, exhibitions, heritage classes, events and guided tours.
Located in the heart of the city, 16 RUE DE L'ÉTOILE, opposite the Jacobins, a stone's throw from Le Mans Cathedral and the historic city, the Le Mans Métropole Tourist Office is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. (note: since 1 March 2022, the office has been closed between 1.30 pm and 2.30 pm from Monday to Friday)
A tourist train runs through the heart of Le Mans on fine days. In 40 minutes of guided tour, it allows you to discover Plantagenet City, the historic district, and the downtown.
The Royal Abbey of Epau remains one of the finest examples of Cistercian architecture in France. Around the abbey church, the cloister and the conventional buildings, the park and the gardens extend. Numerous cultural events take place at the abbey throughout the year.
The Green Museum is the natural history museum of Le Mans and today houses 450,000 scientific specimens. An attractive display presents the local fauna, flora and geology and deals with topical issues such as the biodiversity of the region.
Opened in 1799, the first museum in Le Mans is one of the oldest in France. It houses an important collection of French, Italian and Flemish paintings from the 14th to the 20th century and has a unique space devoted to ancient Egypt.
a museum of archaeology and history, presents local history from prehistory to the Middle Ages. The tour displays objects and remains from recent excavations and invites visitors to discover the way of life of our ancestors.
