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MoreLe Mans 2020 VILLE NATURE
28 May 2020
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
Le Mans is known as the ‘Ville Nature’ (nature town) and will make a great short break destination once we are able to travel to France again. City breaks will present a challenge for the authorities and it is believed towns that can offer something more than just a city centre visit will be more popular.
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
Somewhere like Le Mans has an advantage in being so ‘green’ and environmentally friendly to start with. Le Mans covers the same surface areaas Lyons but has a considerably smaller population. Le Mans sits on two rivers– the Huisine and the Sarthe and contains over 350 hectares of open spaceswithin the metropolitan area. This includes parks, sports arenas, communal exterior areas and gardens (over 200 private family gardens and allotments in four corners of the town) plus in the very heart of Le Mans, a farm with over 85 animals, plus forests, woods and fields. Even the environmentally friendly tramsystem has hectares of trees planted along the tramways.
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
The whole population of Le Mans is involved in keeping the town green and well cared for. Over 200 people are involved in various jobs such as gardeners and horticulturalists concerned with preservation of the environment which also is visible in the town having signed to Agenda 21 which preserves the biodiversity of Le Mans and protects resources. One initiative is the reintroduction of pastureland within the town. This was successfully first attempted in 2015 with a small herd of goats on the Maulny Ford and has been followed with other initiatives since then.
Photo credit: J2M Communications
PS: Did you know that beehives even adorn the steps of the Town Hall and honey has been produced here since 2011?
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
Historical Gardens
Photo credit: Pays du Mans – Le Mans
One example of a historical garden is the Jacobin Terrace and Cordeliers Promenade that date from 1791 when the town acquired these two convents and engaged a young engineer, Louis Bruyère, to design the space. It was he who introduced the terraces of lime trees that were added to by M. Dupuis, landscape gardener, in the English style in 1879.The gardens were largely left untouched after this until 1970 when the limes were replaced and the whole area was revamped with grottos, waterfall, lazy river and amazing trees such as the micocoulier and gleditschia renamed the Jacobin Square.
Another example is the Jardin des Plantes designed by Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand who was famously the Director of Parisien Parks, creator of the Parc Monceau, the Buttes-Chaumont and the Parc Montsouris. His design for the garden has been classified since 1945. The upkeep has been taken over by the horticultural volunteers since 2010.
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
The Castle of Ballon has the most beautiful gardens designed by Jean Gueroult and Alain Richert in the 1960’s although the keep dates back to 1005. This Historic Monument was built by William I of Belleme and was involved in a tug of war between the French and English throughout the centuries until a change in weaponry and warfare lessened its importance.
The Castle of Ballon has the most beautiful gardens designed by Jean Guéroult and Alain Richert in the 1960’s although the keep dates back to 1005, a Historic Monument built by William 1 of Bellême, which gave rise to a tug of war between the French and English throughout the centuries, until this type of fortress lost its importance in warfare.
L’Arche de la Nature
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
Just ten minutes from the city centre is a wonderful space – L’Arche de la nature – where the great outdoors can really be appreciated. It includes a petting farm with local species of animals, herb and vegetable garden, 30 different hiking trails, 40 km of walking and conservation routes, 20 km of mountain bike trails, three orienteering areas, an arboretum, disc-golf, bike and canoe hire over a total of 500 hectares. The Maison d’Eau includes some steam engines, tans of local freshwater fish and an interactive exhibition area. The forest alone is over 300 square hectares of themed areas including wild boar and deer reserves and a Maison de a Forêt which holds all sorts of classes and exhibitions for schools and the public alike about nature, carpentry and so on.
Le Boulevard Nature
Photo credit: Ville du Mans Gilles Moussé
A loop of 72 kilometres joins the various cultural, natural and tourist sites of Le Mans and is dedicated to slow transport options. The Boulevard is accessible by tram, roller skates, roller blades, bicycles, horses and along its length, displays a series of panels telling visitors all about the flora and fauna, history etc. The loop links the Cité Plantagenet, Arche de la Nature, Arnage and the Gémerie Lake, Rouillon, Coulaines, the 24hr Le Mans course, the MM Arena, the Hippodrome, the 24h Golf course at Mulsanne, the European Riding Centre of Yvré – l’Evêque …
Photo credit: Pays du Mans
An historical gem, valued for innovation in technical, medical and educational excellence, its also very green, teeming with glorious gardens, many hidden and secreted away and its the gateway to the Loir.