This door leads the way to a host of suprises... Discover Le Mans with the Tourist Office !

1. THIS DOOR LEADS THE WAY TO A
HOST OF SURPRISES

2. LE MANS,
6 000 years of history
THE Cité Plantagenêt
Although life here dates back to the Neanderthals, the town of
Le Mans began to flourish during the Roman era (first 2 centu-ries
AD). The 8- metre-high fortification walls with their extraor-dinary
facing and friezes, the Roman baths and the Cathedral
of St Julien, built between the 11th and the 15th centuries, and
the remarkably well-preserved old town make Le Mans a place
of outstanding historical importance, unique in Europe.
The Plantagenet quarter, known locally as the Cité Plantagenêt in the
town centre not only harbours many architectural gems, it is the home
and workplace of a host of talented chefs and craftspeople renowned
throughout Europe.
This is not just a historical town; it lives and breathes history!
The oldest Gallo-Roman fortifications
in Europe, candidate for Unesco
world heritage.
@ crédits photos : Gilles Mousset

3. Ville et Pays d’art et d’histoire
the cité Plantagenêt,
where the combination of rare
architectural wealth, talented
craftsmen and creative chefs
creates a unique atmosphere
Standing high above the river Sarthe, the Plantagenet
quarter has commanding views of the whole town. Hotels and charming guest houses.
The Cathedral of Saint Julien took over 500 years to build and com-prises
rare features . It is an architectural and historical gem.
STAY IN A TOWN STEEPED IN HISTORY
@ crédits photos : Gilles Mousset

4. LE MANS,
Vibrant with culture
CHIMERA & CINEMA
As early as 1989, Le Mans became a natural choice as a filming loca-tion.
Many film stars, among them Steve Mac Queen (Le Mans), Al
Pacino, Gérard Depardieu (Cyrano de Bergerac) and Daniel Auteuil
(On Guard), have graced the paved streets of the old town.
Every summer, the Plantagenet quarter is bathed in the
spotlights of "La Nuit des Chimères", a mythological light
show featuring chimera. The streets and historic buildings
are draped in a kaleidoscope of colour as the magic unfurls.
The show, designed and produced by Skertzo, is entirely free
and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. The first
edition of the accompanying festival was held in 2013 and
gathered major names in theatre, literature and music.
Le Mans is also a venue for the international jazz festival Europa Jazz,
a circus arts festival, Le Mans fait son cirque , and Be Bop, a pop-rock
festival ranked among the top 10 music festivals in France.
Here in Le Mans, we move with the times!

5. THESE WALLS
ENCLOSE
A HOST OF
surprises...
Exceptionally well-preserved streets. A celestial concert : musical angels escape from the cathe-dral
to give a celestial concert.
Angels and demons : the cathedral towers become a
boundless stained-glass window.
Gérard Depardieu, Al Pacino,
Daniel Auteuil…
FAMOUS NAMES.
La Nuit des Chimères: THE MAGIC OF LIGHT

6. LE MANS,
Vibrant with culture
LE MANS 24 HOUR RACE
The first Automobile Club de France Grand Prix was held in Le Mans
in 1906. A few years later, the concept of endurance racing became
widely accepted as a way of comparing the resistance of cars. The Le
Mans 24 Hour race was born.
Since then, the demands, the difficulties, the excitement and the
long history of the race have made it a worldwide legend. The most
famous manufacturers and experienced drivers take part.
The world’s greatest race!
The most famous car manufacturers and experienced drivers, who are often
superstars, take part in the most demanding race in the world.

7. LE MANS 24 HOUR MOTORBIKE RACE www.lemans.org
Tens of thousands of motorcyclists
flock to Le Mans each year to watch
this race.
Le Mans THRIVES ON MOTORING
Crédits photos : Gilles Moussé Crédits photos : Gilles Moussé Crédits photos : Gilles Moussé
The Welcome is a thoroughly modern, well-equipped
reception venue.
LE MANS 24 HOUR
LIVING THE LEGEND
SINCE 1923
The world-famous Dunlop bridge that spans the track. A 200 000 strong crowd flocks to watch the race.

8. LE MANS,
mouthwatering tastes, enthusiasm
and entrepreneurship
TRADITION & INNOVATION
Le Mans and the surrounding area have long been known for fresh
produce and the capacity of the local people to forge ahead with new
culinary conquests. For generations now, thanks to rillettes ( potted
pork ), the dry white wine called Jasnières and its chicken and pork
farming traditions, the town has earned a reputation for gastronomy.
The local chefs who work in restaurants in Le Mans and throughout
the world ara known for their skills in combining age-old traditions
with new ideas.
Le Mans has plenty of roots in the past but its sights are firmly set on
the future. Many start-ups and service companies are setting up in the
town’s modern business quarters, joining long-established companies
in the automobile, agro-food and manufacturing sectors.
Rillettes, poultry, the black Le Mans
chicken… Olivier Boussard, a Miche-lin-
starred chef, is just one of the
town’s many culinary talents.

9. JaSNIères :
A FRUITY WINE WITH A GOOD NOSE,
SAID TO BE ONE OF THE BEST DRY WHITES
IN France .
Le Mans CULTIVATES COMPETITIVE AND INNOVATIVE SPIRIT…
The Novaxis business quarter and the surrounding area attracts many
large companies and start-ups and offers high quality accommodation
for business and tourist travellers.
The town has an excellent public transport network and modern
infrastructure.
Both industry and services are keenly focused on Research and De-velopment.

10. LE MANS,
Accessibility & Simplicity
THE KEYS TO EASY TRAVEL!
A transport hub located between Paris, Normandy, Brittany and
the South West of France, Le Mans benefits from an unrivalled
location in terms of road and rail infrastructure and accessibility
of tourist attractions.
Paris, Mont Saint-Michel, Nantes and the Loire Valley châteaux are
less than two hours away.
Crédits photos : Fotolia
Crédits photos : Fotolia
Crédits photos : Fotolia

11. PaRIS
Mont Saint-Michel
lE ManS
BY ROAD
Le Mans is at the crossroads of several
motorways with links to the major
cities in the west and centre of France,
Normandy and the Paris region, all in
less than 2 hours .
by rail
Daily high-speed train links to main
cities :
• 54 minutes to Paris
• 1 hour to Tours or Angers
• 1.5 hours to Rennes or Nantes
• 3 hours to Lille or Lyon
• 4 hours to Marseille or Strasbourg
BY AIR
Direct airport links via high-speed train :
• Massy TGV (for Orly airport) : 47 minutes
• Paris Charles de Gaulle airport : 1.5 hours
Champs Elysées
Château de la loire
Château de Chambord
de Chenonceau
Tour Eiffel
2h du
mont saint-michel
nanTES
2h
de Nantes
55 min de Paris
Mont Saint-Michel

12. Le Mans
TOURIST OFFICE
16 rue de L’Etoile
72000 Le Mans
FRANCE
Tel: +33 (0)2 43 28 17 22
Fax: +33 (0)2 43 28 12 14
contact@amazing-lemans.com
www.amazing-lemans.com
Photo credits : Gilles Moussé, Ville du Mans and Fotolia - Design and production : Café Frappé