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Car Hire in Le mans
Le mans
Renowned the world over for its 24-hour endurance motor race held every June, the city of Le Mans actually has a well-preserved old town, which includes the Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral Saint-Julien (look for the remarkable doorway and stained glass), and is the region's centre for agriculture and industry. With a population of 145,000 within the city limits, Le Mans has an impressive history - it was first mentioned by Ptolemy and was called Vindinium by the Romans. Located at the confluence of the Sarthe and Huisne rivers, the city is still surrounded by the original 3rd and 4th century Gallo-Roman walls, and features half-timbered houses, Renaissance mansions and a number of religious monuments. While in le Mans, make sure you try the region's culinary speciality, rillettes (a type of coarse pate using duck, pork or salmon). But, inevitably, we come back to the motor racing. The city has been host to the famous race since 1923, and there are, in fact, two race tracks: the Bugatti circuit (named for the famous car manufacturer) is the smaller of the two, and is used throughout the year; the longer and more famous Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe is composed partly of public roads, which are closed during races. A visit to the Musee de l'Automobile is a must, housing as it does some wonderful examples of motor vehicles dating back to 1885.