Montfort-le-Gesnois and its Roman Bridge

A charming village overlooking the Pont Romain and its picturesque waterside setting, Montfort-le-Gesnois boasts a rich heritage and a range of leisure activities that are both refreshing and relaxing.

Discover the churches of Saint-Gilles (11th century) and Notre-Dame (19th century), the Romanesque church of Saussay, the tomb of the Crusader in the Saint-André cemetery, the 19th-century château and the 110 steps at the top of which offer a beautiful view of the Huisne valley and the stud farm.

Discovery trails

Since 2006, in partnership with the Pays de la Loire Region, the Pays de la Loire has been carrying out a heritage inventory of its territory. In 2017, a new study was launched to examine the villages through their morphology, architecture and relationship with the countryside.

Montfort-le-Gesnois, one of eleven towns selected for an in-depth study, has a very special configuration resulting from the merger of two neighboring towns, as well as an exceptional built heritage: castle, churches, medieval bridge, old houses…

Two circuits are proposed, each with 16 stages, one to discover the old town of Pont-de-Gennes and the banks of the Huisne (2.7 km), the other to climb the old town of Montfort-le-Rotrou around its castle (1.5 km). These two itineraries join at the school complex, where several parking lots are available, for a long loop of around 4 km.

It is possible to deviate from the route to take advantage of several remarkable viewpoints, indicated on the map at the end of the booklet.

Download itinerary6MB

Espace du Pont Romain A picturesque waterside setting

A postcard landscape, with the bridge, the ruins of the mill on the Huisne and the restored washhouse. On the Huisne, the Pont Romain takes pride of place in this area. Of the original structure, built around the year 50, only a few arches remain today.

Today, Espace du Pont Romain is popular with locals and tourists alike for its magnificent setting. In season, a kayak rental base invites you to sail on the Huisne. It is also the starting point for many hiking trails.

Numerous events are also organized:

Fireworks
Theater
Markets
etc.

For over 40 years, the 2nd Sunday in May has been the ” Fête des Vieux Métiers ” on the Pont Romain!

Kayak rental base

From Pont Romain, discover the Huisne river. This river offers a green valley flanked by wooded hills. The river’s landscape and architectural heritage are presented to you from a privileged angle. In season, take a one-hour or three-hour trip on the Huisne with the Canoë-Kayak Club Fertois.

Opening hours

July and August :

Friday afternoons (1:30pm-6pm)
Saturday and Sunday all day (10am-6pm)

Book online, by phone or at the clubhouse

BASE DE LOCATION DE KAYAKS DE MONTFORT-LE-GESNOIS

Rendez-vous à Montfort-le-Gesnois pour pratiquer le Canoë-Kayak sur l’Huisne grâce à deux parcours.

Park Nuthatches

Come and stroll, picnic and play in the shade of the tall trees of the Parc des Sittelles. On site, you’ll find the Sittelia aqualudic center, the Sittelles hotel-restaurant and a motorhome park.

Take advantage of your visit to discover the Espace naturel sensible des Sittelles.

Center aqualudique Sittellia

Enjoy the pleasures of swimming in our aquatic center, where you’ll find all the essentials for practicing and learning different swimming techniques. A 25m sports pool with 4 lanes is at your disposal, as well as a 1.30m deep leisure pool with a fast-flowing river and counter-current swimming.

For younger visitors, there’s a paddling pool with water games and a waterslide, where they can have fun discovering the aquatic environment, as well as a 55m-long giant waterslide.

Outside, you can also enjoy a Nordic pool, a relaxation and wellness area and a fitness area.

Open every day

CENTRE AQUALUDIQUE ET FORME SITTELLIA

Sittellia : un lieu enchanteur où vous pourrez découvrir les plaisirs de l'eau dans un cadre chaleureux. Notre piscine offre une multitude d'activités pour tous les âges et...

Espace Naturel Sensible des Sittelles

Un rendez-vous avec la Nature !

Espace Naturel Sensible des Sittelles

A former quarry, the site’s main feature is the mix of natural habitats linked to sandy soils and dry moorlands dominated by various types of heather.

These habitats are ideal for amphibians such as the green tree frog and the great crested newt. A wide variety of frogs to see and hear!

The site is also home to a number of remarkable birds and bats, including the melodious linnet, the common serotine and the common noctule.

The site is open to visitors from June 15 to July 31.

Circuit 1906 1st Automobile Club de France Grand Prix

It was here, on the playground of the Bollée family, east of Le Mans in the Sarthe department, that the first Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France (A.C.F.) was held in 1906.

A well-deserved reward for this region, which in 1873 saw the birth of “l’Obéissante”, the first car created by Amédée Bollée père and considered to be the first automobile for private use.

In just over 30 years, technical progress and the competitive spirit driving a fledgling industry would give rise, on June 26 and 27 1906, to an unprecedented race.

Today, on a 100 km triangle course following the roads between Le Mans and Saint-Calais (D357), Saint-Calais and La Ferté-Bernard (D1), La Ferté-Bernard and Le Mans (D323), you can retrace much of the route of the circuit that hosted the 1st Automobile Club de France Grand Prix in 1906.

Put yourself in Ferenc Szisz’s shoes and relive this race, the origin of one of the world’s most famous events, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Thirteen commemorative totems and two postcard friezes have been set up to highlight this historic event.

The discovery trail will accompany you on your tour.

Discovery trail of the 1st Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France

This document is an invitation to discover the race that gave birth to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On a 100 km triangular route following the roads between Le Mans and Saint-Calais (D357), Saint-Calais and La Ferté-Bernard (D1), La Ferté-Bernard and Le Mans (D323), relive the history of the 1st Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France.

This booklet is designed in the order of the race. It begins at kilometer 0 in the Parc des Sittelles and follows, step by step, the route taken by the drivers in 1906. Each stage is illustrated by a theme (the preparations to welcome the public, the excitement, the race…) and features a presentation of the towns with their main heritage and tourist attractions.

Download the discovery tour3MB