Le Mans Racing Le Mans is synonymous with the 24-hours of Le Mans, perhaps the most renowned car race in the world, and the Grand Prix remains the annual highlight for the town. In fact, there are two separate tracks: the shorter Bugatti Circuit, which is used for racing throughout the year, and the longer and more famous Circuit de la Sarthe, which incorporates some public roads with the track for the 24 hours of Le Mans.
True automobile lovers are drawn to the Musee Automobile de la Sarthe, where visitors gaze in awe at a veritable cavalcade of automotive power and beauty: some 150 vehicles, 23 of them motorcycles, 15 Le Mans winners, prototypes and luxury models.
But Le Mans is also important historically, and there are many points of interest for the traveller: a standing stone that dates from prehistoric times, city walls that are the vestige of the Roman occupation, Roman Baths and other monuments.
The city’s St. Julian's Cathedral was built over a period of five hundred years, and presents the visitor with a façade of roussard stone, limestone and glass. One of the country’s largest cathedrals, St. Julian’s is celebrated as the “archeological” cathedral of medieval religious art, and is particularly famous for its stained glass. | Pays de la Loire Activities With its wonderful variety of coastline, rivers and beautiful landscape, the region presents the holidaymaker a host of activities to choose from. Although this is a large region with several “departments”, facilities are easy to find throughout.
Walking, riding and cycling are among the multitude of different ways of exploring the rich diversity of the countryside. Networks of paths, tracks and cycle-ways suitable for all degrees of proficiency trace routes along the coastline as well as inland areas. For a novel and aerobic excursion, you might try a “vélo-rail”. This is a railway track car, mounted on a disused track and powered by as many as eight drivers.
Enjoy lunch and dinner cruises on the Erdre river, north of Nantes, or be pampered at a spa and Thalassotherapy centre at Seawater therapy at La Baule (2), Pornichet, St Jean-de-Monts, Pornic and Les Sables d'Olonne.
Try your hand at canoeing on the rivers Mayenne, Sarthe and Oudon through the Anjou and Maine regions, or sea kayaking around Noirmoutier Island or even sailing at Les Sables d'Olonne. Beautiful beaches take care of the swimmers and sun lovers, while golfers can choose from a host of 18-hole courses. For a different perspective, try hot air ballooning. |
 Western Loire TourismEvery city or major town in the region seems to have a chateau. Some are true fortresses, while others seem to spring from the pages of a fairytale. Many are open to the public, either as museum and galleries, and several now operate as luxury hotels and fine restaurants.
The Sarthe Valley presents beautifully wooded hills, hedgerows that, in season are bedecked with wild roses, honeysuckle, or large juicy blackberries. In late Spring, the apple and pear orchards blossom, contrasting the verdant pastures and deep blue skies.
Saumur, as well as being famous for its wines, is home to the Cadre Noir, the Ecole Nationale d’Equitation (National equestrian school), known for its annual horse shows. The region also boasts beautiful centuries-old homes and churches, fine wines, and … mushroom caves. At the Musée du Champignon, see how mushrooms are grown underground. Saumur is also famous for its carnival mask factory and The Musée du Masque with waxwork figures displaying carnival masks and colourful costumes.
Between Saumur and Montsoreau, you can see the cave homes dug out of the soft limestone hillsides that line the Loire by 12th Century peasants, some of them still in use today.
And the diversity continues: La Baule, a summer resort with its spectacular beach, is a pleasant town with winding streets, giant pines, a casino and restaurants; Nantes has a medieval castle, home of the Musée d’Art Populaire, a 15th-century cathedral, and a naval museum; In St-Nazaire you can explore the Escal Atlantic, a replica of an ocean liner containing interactive exhibits evoking the golden age of ocean travel, while art and history buffs can view fabulous tapestries in Angers.
From your gite in Loire you have access to La Baule beaches and summer resort, horse shows in Cadre Noir, and the 24 hours of La Mans for the racing fanatics. Sink your teeth into local delights on an Erdre River dinner cruise after a day of hot air ballooning in Loire. Western Loire Tourist Information Guide wishes you happy travels! |
