The Best Things To Do In Le Mans, France | 24 Hours Of Fun

Le Mans in France

Undoubtedly, Le Mans in France is most famous for the 24 hours’ car race held once a year. However, that’s not the only attraction in the city. Le Mans is located at half an hour drive from Paris, making it an ideal day trip from the capital. You will get to explore museums, beautiful half-timbered houses, the extraordinary light show and so much more in the beautiful city on the Sarthe River. Here are the top things to do in Le Mans.

Le Mans Cathedral

Le Mans Cathedral

Located in the Place du Cardinal Grente, the Le Mans Cathedral is a magnificent sight. Some of the most admirable things about the enormous cathedral are the flying buttresses, beautiful stained glass windows and the centuries-old stone age menhir weathering with time just to become more beautiful.

 

24 hours of Le Mans Museum

How interesting is it to have a museum on the history of a race? 24 Hours of Le Mans museum displays the history of how it all began. In the museum, you will also see 120 vehicles out of which 40 were a part of the race in different years. Many other articles related to the competition are showcased in the museum.

 

Le Mans Circuit of 24 hours

Now comes the feature that makes Le Mans famous for all the right reasons, the Circuit of 24 hours. The 24 hours’ race started in 1923, which became a passion for real motorists around the world. The 24 hours’ race is a test of skills and patience. You can visit the circuit even if you are not a racer as some of the roads are open for the general public.

 

Gallo-Roman walls of Le Mans

Between the river and the Le Mans Cathedral, you will see the old Gallo-Roman walls. Only 500 meters of the 3rd-century wall is left, and it will not fail to amaze you. The walls were made by using red brick, limestone, pale pink mortar and sandstone. Different pattern on the wall makes it even more admirable.

 

La Nuit des Chimères

Le Mans light ups when seven main monuments of the city are struck with lights and colours to display different themes and images such as zodiac signs, angles, beasts and other mythological characters. The show is presented from Tuesday to Saturday.

 

House of Plantagenêt

The house of Plantagenet (cité Plantagenêt) ruled England for more than 300 years, and the city decided to own it proudly by renaming the old quarter in the name of Plantagenets. House of Plantagenêt offers beautifully preserves cobblestone streets, timber-framed houses and publically owned mansions giving you a chance to live the ancient times.

 

Musée de Tessé

Le Mans also has a fine arts museum displaying art and archaeological pieces from the past. You can see articles from as old as 6000 years ago. The painting gallery of musée de Tessé contains artwork of various artists like Bartolomeo Bulgarini and Camille Corot.

 

Abbaye de l’Epau

The Abbey was founded by Queen Berengaria but little did she knew that she would eventually be buried here after her death. Abbaye de l’Epau dates back to the early 13th century. Unmissable details of the architecture of this Cistercian Abbey will not fail to amaze you.

 

If you plan to escape the noise and hustle of the capital, a quick escape to Le Mans in France is worth your time. A quick excursion to this exciting city will rejuvenate you. We also recommend you to check our Loire Valley guide.