A few words about Le Mans

Le Mans is located in the Sarthe region of France, about 80 kilometres northwest of Tours and about midway between Normandy and the Loire Valley, making it a convenient tourist stopover.
The city supposedly derives its name from an ancient Gallic tribe, Cenomani. It was first mentioned by Ptolemy under the name of Vindinium. St. Julien evangelized it in the 3rd century. From the 6th century, it became the seat of the Counts of Maine. In 1129 Geoffrey of Anjou, Count of Maine and Anjou and founder of the Plantagenet dynasty, married Matilda, daughter of King Henry I of England, and their son, the future Henry II was born. It was not until the 13th century that Le Mans came under the French crown. The English invaded it again during the Hundred Years' War. Royalists and Republicans fought over it during the French Revolution. It was the headquarters of Germany's 7th Army during World War II and was heavily bombed by the Allies in preparation for the invasion of Normandy.
Today, Le Mans is best known for motorsports but there is more to it than the racing events.
The picturesque old town lies on a hill and is encircled by the remains of Gallo-Roman walls. They are several hundred metres long, date back to the 3rd - 4th century, and are said to be the best preserved in Europe. Steps descend to the river Sarthe on the north-western side, and to the main square of the modern town, Place de la République, on the southern side.
The medieval streets of the old town are lined with finely preserved buildings, some displaying Renaissance stonework, others half-timbering, still others - imposing Classical facades. One of the Renaissance houses contains a museum of Queen Berengaria, the wife of Richard the Lionheart and "the only English queen never to have set foot in the country".
The old town is dominated by the magnificent St. Julien Cathedral on the cobbled Place de Grente, a combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The 13th-century stained glass windows and the singing and dancing angels on a red background, painted on the vault of the Notre Dame chapel, bring some colour to the otherwise sombre interior. Rodin admired the sculptures on the south porch and said they were rivaled only by the Chartres cathedral. The choir is one of the tallest in France, supported by light and elegant buttresses. Geoffrey Plantagenet was buried at the Cathedral in 1155.
The central Place de la République in the modern town is flanked by Belle Époque buildings and modern office blocks. The 18th-century Church of the Visitation is a fine example of Baroque architecture. Beneath the square is an underground shopping center.
The famous 24-hour endurance race takes place in June. The race has been held since 1923, and distances of 5000 kilometres and speeds of up to 220 kilometres per hour can be reached. The Sarthe race circuit is in the outskirts of Le Mans, and is 13.5 kilometres long. It includes some sections of public roads that are closed to the public during the races. Wilbert Wright used what is now the circuit's fastest stretch to take off in his prototype airplane in 1908.
There is an automobile museum near the race track where 150 cars are displayed. Some of them date back to 1885. The museum relates the story of the races and their winners.
You can also visit the Abbaye de l'Epau just 4 kilometres outside Le Mans, founded by Queen Berengaria in 1229. The abbey is set amidst a tranquil rural landscape. The visit includes the dormitory, the scriptorium and the church containing the tomb of Queen Berengaria.