Le Mans Travel Articles & Travelogues

FRANCE TRAVEL ARTICLES

LE MANS May/June 1995

We had been unable to find a hotel in Le Mans on our way down to South West France, but we were luckier on the way back. We booked into Hotel Ibis and set out to explore the town known best for motor racing. We soon discovered it had much more going for it.

The oldest part of the city was built on a hill. Narrow cobbled streets were lined with lovely stone buildings. It was very quiet as it was a Sunday and the tourist season was not yet in full swing. We were lucky with the weather. It was a lovely day and the honey coloured stone looked particularly attractive beneath a blue sky.

We were only spending the one night in Le Mans, so wanted to see as much of the old town as possible. We went inside the cathedral and admired the unadorned stone work. As the cathedral was at the high point of the city, there were one or two nearby vantage points from which there were good views over the town.

Afterwards, we wandered around a few more streets, lined with old timbered buildings, before looking for somewhere to eat. We eventually enjoyed kir and starters, followed by entrecote and accompanied by wine at Café Leffe. With coffee, this only cost about £25.