Photo : Sarthe Tourisme
Ile MoulinSart
Île MoulinSart is a cultural and tourist site in Fillé-sur-Sarthe, at the gates of Le Mans. It brings together the Moulin Cyprien and its milling heritage, a contemporary art center, outdoor exhibitions, children's play areas and a watersports base.
What's on
Nothing announced here for now.
Practical info
Hours
School term (April 4–September 27, 2026): Wed 10 AM–1 PM / 2–6 PM, Fri–Sat 2–9 PM (11 PM on Friday concert nights), Sun 10 AM–7:30 PM. School holidays (April 13–26, July 6–August 31): Wed 10 AM–1 PM / 2–7:30 PM, Thu 2–7:30 PM, Fri–Sat 2–9 PM (11 PM on Friday concert nights), Sun 10 AM–7:30 PM. Closed September 28–October 30, 2026.
Access
Site on the edge of Le Mans, along the Fillé canal. Watersports base (pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, giant paddleboards), walking trails, picnic area, and a tourist welcome point with a shop and bistro-guinguette.
Parking
Parking 130 m away (surface lot)
Data: SETRAM / Le Mans Métropole (GTFS, Open Licence), © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
More about Ile MoulinSart
The Île MoulinSart bistro-guinguette occupies bright, modern rooms within the Île MoulinSart cultural and tourist site in Fillé-sur-Sarthe, at the gates of Le Mans, between the canal and the Sarthe. It serves cuisine inspired by the Sarthe countryside, with local, seasonal products, in a setting that combines milling heritage, contemporary art and the waterside.
For the 2026 season, the front desk, bar and shop keep hours that vary by period. During the school term (April 4 to September 27), it is open Wednesday (10 AM–1 PM and 2–6 PM), Friday and Saturday (2–9 PM, until 11 PM on Friday concert nights) and Sunday (10 AM–7:30 PM). During school holidays (April 13–26 and July 6 to August 31), hours are extended, with an extra opening on Thursday (2–7:30 PM) and longer hours on Wednesday (10 AM–1 PM and 2–7:30 PM). End of season from September 28 to October 30, 2026: closed.
A bit of history
The Moulin Cyprien has dipped its waterwheel into the Sarthe since the 15th century. Built in the Middle Ages, it takes its name from Cyprien Cosnier, grandfather of the last miller to own the site. In the 19th century, the Sarthe department counted about 200 water mills; the Moulin Cyprien is one of only five that have remained in operation to this day, making it a rare witness to this vanished milling industry.
Left abandoned in the 1970s, the mill was taken over in 1996 by volunteers from a local heritage preservation association, who undertook its restoration and got the milling running again. In 2000, the site became the property of the Communauté de communes du Val de Sarthe, which launched its transformation into a tourist site. The mill's former grain barn was converted into a contemporary art center, and the island itself was laid out as a landscaped park open to the public.
Today the mill still grinds, using traditional methods, wheat and buckwheat flours made from local grains certified organic, producing about ten tons of flour a year. It keeps centuries-old milling know-how alive at the heart of a site that has become a cultural and leisure destination for the whole Sarthe valley.