Ahh Le Mans. The historic French town that sits quietly out of the limelight, a two-or-so hour drive from one of Europe’s most chic, elegant and sophisticated capitals: Paris. When we say, ‘sits quietly out of the limelight’, that of course does not account for it’s major sporting events at the Le Mans circuit – whether that’s the 24-Hour Endurance races on four wheels or two, or the weekend where they welcome more than 300,000 into the circuit for the Michelin® Grand Prix of France. Well, this weekend is the weekend of the latter so if you are one of the many that make this annual pilgrimage, then here’s a few things to do when you’re in town.

First things first, where is Le Mans? Besides being a couple of hours away from the eclectic capital Paris, it sits in the Sarthe department of Pays de la Loire region. Major cities beyond Paris include Rennes and regional capital Nantes, the later of which has more than double the Le Mans population. Seems kind of crazy then just how wild it can get at the track in terms of the fan numbers!

Next up is recent history – or not so recent if you look at the 3^rd century, when the Romans took over and built surrounding city walls. Those same walls are there today in what has to be one of France’s most medieval old towns. Timber-framed houses, palatial squares, churches, cathedrals, bars, restaurants and more, we’ll come onto the old town shortly in more detail but it’s 100% one of the unsung highlights on MotoGP’s lap of the world. Back to the history, Henry II was born there and was King of England from 1154 to 1189 – we’ll not get into exactly why an English King was born in France and the fact that England controlled parts of it over 800 years ago.

Slightly more recently, the motorsport tradition took over; 1923 welcomed the first 24 hour car race and it’s been running annually ever since, whilst the 24 hour motorcycle race began in 1978. MotoGP’s first visit to Le Mans came in 1969 but we’ve called it our forever French Grand Prix home since 2000. A fun fact is that whilst Grand Prix motorcycling has taken place since 1949, the French motorcycle Grand Prix dates back to 1920, starting at Le Mans. Home-hero Georges Jolly won that day and 105 years later, Johann Zarco would be the most-recent winner of the French GP.

So, that old town we mentioned? Stunning. Those Gallo-Roman walls that used to entirely wrap around it may well have been largely gone but there’s still a stunning, tilting leftover on the east side of the Sarthe river which gives an indication to exactly what this city used to look like. Dating back to the 3^rd and 4^th centuries, they were a UNESCO World Heritage candidate in 2016 and moreover, remain some of the largest – and most colourful – constructions of the Roman empire outside of the Imperial cities of Rome and Constantinople. With more than a dozen towers and over half a kilometre in length, they really have stood the test of trying times. The cobbled streets thrive too, with a vibrant nightlife that does showcase that Le Mans isn’t just another city in France – it’s one of the biggest hidden gems too.

“The Red City” as it’s dubbed – for the colours of those walls – is an enchanting exploration. Postcard France may feature a slightly more grand version of the Blackpool Tower, some nice beachfronts in the south and fields, castles and vineyards in between but Le Mans really is worth the visit – MotoGP or not. If you’re here on Grand Prix weekend though, it may well be the cherry on top of your French pastry. C’est magnifique.