Sarthe

La Sarthe, lodged between the Paris basin and the Atlantic coast, is something of a hybrid. To the north, its countryside offers a foretaste of Normandy landscapes while to the east the valley of the Perche plunges into the Paris basin. The Loir valley to the south opens out into Touraine and Anjou and there is already a glimpse of Brittany in the granite of the Coëvrons Hills.

No fewer than 200 important monuments dot its landscape, from Le Mans's Gallo-Roman fortified walls (the best preserved in France) to Solesmes Abbey, world-famous for its Gregorian chants. Every year, however, all eyes are on the racetrack to watch super-cars thundering by during the city's world-famous 24-hour race.

Formerly known as Vindunum, capital of the Cenomani (a Gallic tribe) territory, the city of Le Mans was a prosperous, influential metropolis.

During the Middle Ages the Sarthe county encompassed the eastern section of the ancient province of Haut-Maine. It was annexed to Anjou in 1126 and then claimed as an Anglo-Norman possessions from 1154 until Philippe-Auguste incorporated it into the French kingdom. This particular département suffered terribly during the Hundred Years' War and the Protestant uprising; the county only knew a period of peace after the take-over of Le Mans in 1589.

La Sarthe was a continuous battleground for Royalists/Republicans conflicts during the revolution. The soldiers of Vendée suffered a crushing defeat in Le Mans on 10 December 1793, yet remained on the territory.

The Le Mans 24 Hours race saw the light in 1923 and has thrived every since. The city was also the birthplace of a completely new form of industry; it was there that Louis Renault built his first workshop in 1936.

The higher quality of local clay has made ceramic arts a tradition in Malicorne since the 12th century. Jean Loyseau set up the city's first tin-glazed earthenware workshop in 1747 at the Plat d'Etain hotel, and even today the Malicorne "faïence" produces fine, hand-painted earthenware using traditional methods.

Visitors should beware of locals who invite them to hunt a strange animal known as the piterne… While you are busy hunting, your hosts will be placing bets on the time it will take you to realise that your white-coated prey is in fact an imaginary creature invented to play practical jokes on naïve city-folk…

Sarthe is the birthplace of the renowned rillettes du Mans (a fluffy porc paté), but it is also home to the Loué chicken and some of the country's best breeds of poultry.

Just about every Frenchman has tasted a "sablé" shortcake, and the best are from Sablé-sur-Sarthe - invented in 1923 by a local pastry chef, this delicacy is perfect for dipping in coffee.

When it comes to drink, the fresh, light Jasnière wines and the Loir Coteaux are choice bottles to accompany a meal.