Saint-Mars-la-Brière walks

Parigné-Lévêque is a very large and wooded commune: northern pines with sand dunes, chestnut trees and birches in the south. The route allows you to discover the charm of numerous undergrowths, vast moors and ponds. The Narais stream is crossed in several places.

This circular route allows you to discover a site not far from Le Mans that is rich in natural beauty. Ponds, peat bogs, wet and dry moors, marshy woods... make up a mosaic of landscapes that are home to species that are rare in the region: harriers, hobby falcons, goshawks, purple herons, for the winged creatures; royal fern, marsh hottonia and sundew, for the plant world.

This route owes its name to the shape of its route, which evokes the silhouette of a leprechaun for dreamers. It offers a path between Jalais, a bocage plain on the Soulitré side, and the Huisne valley.

An easy walk, 50% of which follows a path around the Auvours hill, which witnessed the War of 1870, where a tragic battle claimed 617 lives on 10 and 11 January 1871. Many mementoes of this war are housed in the church at Yvre, where one chapel is dedicated to the Papal Zouaves.

During this hike, you will have the opportunity to admire the Yvré countryside, its Roman bridge, the Gérence fountain and catch a glimpse of the beautiful Château de Vaux as you walk along the trails and part of the "Boulevard Nature".

The parish underwent a re-demarcation in 1836: certain farms such as La Bardouillère and houses in the village were part of Volnay. Since then, the south-eastern boundary has been formed by the Ruisseau la Sourice. Under the Ancien Régime, the parish seigneury was annexed to the Château du Coudray, which you will see to the right of the hill as you head towards La Bardouillère. The village still has traditional houses near the church; it has gradually expanded towards the crossing point over the Sourice, where the roads from Surfonds to Bouloire and from Le Breil to Volnay used to meet, later transformed inthe 19th century into the main road from Tuffé to Le Grand-Lucé.

The first mention of the parish under the name “Siliaco Philippi” dates back to the years 1145–1187. From the Middle Ages onwards, the parish seigneury was annexed to the Château de Passais, which itself fell under the barony of Touvoie, owned by the bishops of Le Mans, situated on the border between Savigné-L’Evêque and Saint-Corneille. Sillé-le-Philippe gave rise to the creation of a linear village; long remaining modest in size, it is now expanding due to its proximity to the Le Mans conurbation. This development also benefits the hamlet of Chanteloup (situated on the old royal road from Le Mans to Paris via Mortagne, now the RD 301), which once boasted several cafés and inns.

Walk along the sunken paths on the outskirts of Le Mans.

With 350 hectares of forest, 60% of which is made up of conifers such as maritime pines and Scots pines, this trail located at the Arche de la Nature offers hikers a breath of fresh air.

Located in the municipalities of Sargé, Coulaines and Le Mans, this route runs largely along dirt tracks, sometimes tarmac, lined with hedges, trees and shrubs offering generous shade.

This city walk takes you from park to park. From Parc de Gazonfier via the Jardin des Plantes and Parc Banjan, discover or rediscover the streets of Le Mans with its houses steeped in history and its breathtaking views.

The village of Duneau is located in a dominant position on the left bank of the Huisne, on a route that has been highly sought-after since prehistoric times. The Pierre Fiche menhir and the Pierre Couverte dolmen, dating from the Neolithic period (around 4000 BC), bear witness to this. These are the only visible archaeological remains among many others covering the periods of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Known successively as Ecclesia de Torciaco, then Torcey and Notre Dame de Torcé, the former parish has been called Torcé-en-Vallée since 1926. The documents first mentioning it relate to the construction of the priory and the church. However, it is clear that Torcé’s history predates this, as evidenced by the megalith located at the western entrance to the village, known as the ‘Dolmen de Torcé’ or ‘Palet de Gargantua’. Human occupation may date back to the Middle Neolithic period.

This walk follows the Huisne Valley and crosses the meadow where an American airfield was set up following the liberation of France in August 1944. A sign on site recounts the history of this temporary airfield.

An easy hike that can be enjoyed by the whole family, including children.

Since 2003, the "Old Mans" has been called "Cité Plantagenêt" after the Plantagenêt dynasty, the English royal family originally from Le Mans. The former provincial capital of Maine and Perche (from the 16th century to the Revolution), this stroll through the streets and alleys of Le Mans' historic district offers a pleasant walk in the natural setting of famous swashbuckling films (Cyrano de Bergerac, Le Bossu, The Man in the Iron Mask, Nicolas Le Floch, etc.).

A good twenty kilometres of peaceful walking through the countryside along sunken lanes, with almost 100% of the route on footpaths (less than 1.5 km of tarmac!!!) in the Beaufay countryside.

The route through the countryside around Tuffé takes us to the Château de Chéronne and the church of Saint-Denis-des-Coudrais. The Chéronne, which feeds the Tuffé lake, crosses and recrosses the sunken paths several times. This route is best enjoyed in good weather as the dirt tracks can be quite wet.

At the foot of the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans route, a pleasant stroll beneath Scots pines and maritime pines where the squirrel reigns supreme.

Spared by land consolidation, the commune of Bonnétable, best known for its medieval castle and deciduous forest, is much loved by walkers for its typical sunken paths and pleasant wooded countryside.