Le Mans is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.

Its inhabitants are called Manceaux (male) and Mancelles (female). Since 1923, the city has hosted the internationally famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance sports car race.

Main sights

• Le Mans has a well-preserved old town (Cité Plantagenêt, also called Vieux Mans) and the Cathédrale St-Julien
• Remnants of a Roman wall are visible in the old town and Roman baths are located by the river. These walls are highlighted every summer (July and August) evening in a light show that tells the history of the town.
• Arboretum de la Grand Prée
• Part of the former Cistercian abbey de l’Epau, founded by Queen Berengaria 
• Jardin des Plantes du Mans
• Musée de la reine Bérengère
• Musée de Tessé, the fine arts museum of the city

Climate

Le Mans has an oceanic climate influenced by the mild Atlantic air travelling inland. Summers are warm and occasionally hot, whereas winters are mild and cloudy.

Transportation

The Gare du Mans is the main railway station of Le Mans. It takes 1 hour to reach Paris from Le Mans by TGV high speed train. There are also TGV connections to Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes and Brest.

Sport

Motorsport

Since the 1920s, the city has been best known for its connection with motorsports. There are two official and separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is the Bugatti Circuit , a relatively short permanent circuit, which is used for racing throughout the year and has hosted the French motorcycle Grand Prix.

The longer and more famous Circuit de la Sarthe is composed partly of public roads. These are closed to the public when the track is in use for racing. Since 1923, this route has been used for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race.

The “Le Mans start” was formerly used in the 24-hour race: drivers lined up across the track from their cars, ran across the track, jumped into their cars and started them to begin the race.

Basketball

The city is home to Le Mans Sarthe Basket, 2006 Champion of the LNB Pro A, France’s top professional basketball division.

Football

• Le Mans FC

Cycling

• Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)

Gastronomy

The culinary specialty of Le Mans is rillettes, a shredded pork pâté.

Landmarks

Located at Mayet near Le Mans, the Le Mans-Mayet transmitter has a height of 342 m and is one of the tallest radio masts in France.