What's to see in the surrounding countryside?

[TeaVR]

This year will be our third trip to Le Mans.

1st year we pretty much stayed on site

2nd year drove around a bit

This year, we fully intend to get out and enjoy the countryside and some of the French culture. We are keen photographers so also possibly taking some tog kit.

So, other than te racing, what's to see in the surrounding countryside?

Cheers.
TeaVr

Www.davhughes.com

[A Curtis]

Next year I plan to stay to go down to Millau Bridge, abit far from Le Mans if your only looking close but a must see for an engineering freak I think.

[GadgeS3C]

For those with an eclectic task in all things automotive the Maurice Dufresne museum is a worthwhile visit. Fair way South though.

http://www.musee-dufresne.com/

[joncon]

the city of tours is worth a visit, then there are the chateau's nearby, the chateau at villandry is well worth a visit, with a nice restraunt serving excellent food.

[slartibartfast]

Surrounding countryside...well.....fields, sheep, occasional cow...we heard some frogs in a pond croaking away late one night while doing a black op..

We also saw this fking HUGE beetle on our campsite, at least 6inche long, hard as nails!

[NormanD]

A Curtis said:

Next year I plan to stay to go down to Millau Bridge, abit far from Le Mans if your only looking close but a must see for an engineering freak I think.

We did the Bridge a couple of years ago then up to LeMans

Well worth the visit

[leyorkie]

We have some Roman ruins here near Le Lude and a chateau some nice roads.
France is mainly history, is that to your taste?
Saumur is a good spot with a Tank museum (Musee des Blindes) lots of WW2 stuff and Cold war
Tell us what you fancy and I will see if I can suggest it for you.

[joncon]

Saumur is a good spot with a Tank museum (Musee des Blindes) lots of WW2 stuff and Cold war

fantastic museum , went there last year !

[ellroy]

http://www.ridelust.com/ridelust-books-go-like-hel...

Not far away, clearly.

[Ramona]

Don't forget to have a look around Le Mans itself, specifically the old town as well as the cathedral. Very photogenic.

[The Surveyor]

Always recommend a trip out to the 'classic british welcome' at Saint Saturin, not far from Le Mans it's self but an amazing free freindly show. Oh and the bogs are clean too....

Paul

[rlw]

I posted this before but if you want to see a chateau go to Chinon via Chateau du Loir/Chateau-la-Valliere/Langeais taking in all the yellow roads and green stripes on the Michelin and you will have a drive to talk about when you get home. Or instead of Chinon go to Villandry on the same route or do both.

Sadly, the fabulous little restaurant we used to go to has now closed but Chinon is a great place to see. Also, for a view, you can't beat Candes-St Martin on the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire, just down the road from Chinon - if you go, go to the belvedere.

[TeaVR]

Chaps - thanks SO much for this. I think scenery and chateaus etc are definitely our thing! I'll be googling all your suggestions

SO blimin excited about Le Mans

[blueST]

I've never been, but isn't there that Hotel somewhere south of Le Mans where the old Jag or Aston team used to stay when the world was in black and white?

I think it's Chartre sur le Loire but don't know the name of the Hotel. I think they have loads of racing memorabilia from the olden days.

Can anyone give some information on it that might actually be useful

[Fanelli]

The Hotel is called Hotel de France - www.hoteldefrance-72.fr

It is a really nice small hotel in the central square at La Chartre-sur-le-Loir with really good food but not over the top haute cuisine.

It is about 30/40 minutes (50Kms) from Le Mans and is where the Aston Martin team always stayed until the 1960's. The whole place is littered with racing memoribilia and photographs. I really reccomend it.

Edited by Fanelli on Monday 23 May 16:24

[Truckosaurus]

Indeed. Plenty of interesting motorcars in the square on the Friday morning.

Here was last year:

[gt6]

until St saturin started we would always go to that village every friday, look at the cars and climb up to the monument to joan of arc, great view from there, but we began to notice a drop off on the numbers of people going there and then found out about St saturin classic british welcome. Sometime go ther on thursday now still a very interesting place and always some interesting cars there.

[joncon]

they still have a gathering of cars there on a friday afternoon .
they put barriers across the main road and directed us in there a couple of years ago.