It’s a beautiful city. It’s interesting. It’s great fun. These are just three reasons why you really need to have Angers on your list. What more could you want?
A little history
Angers’ strategic location on the Maine River has made it an important city since ancient times.
The Romans settled there in the 1st century, and Juliomagus Andecavorum, as it was called, became a commercial centre. Many Gallo-Roman sites remain today. You can see stretches of the old Roman road, a Roman amphitheatre near Angers Castle, and the foundations of a Roman temple discovered under the Saint-Aubin church.
In the 9th century, the Counts of Anjou built the massive Château d’Angers to defend against Viking invasions. By this time, the city’s name had evolved into ‘Angers’. It grew into a thriving medieval city under the Plantagenets in the 12th century; King Henry II spent time there and expanded the castle.
As the capital of Anjou, Angers flourished as a centre of the arts. It suffered damaging attacks during the French Revolution, but prosperity returned in the 19th century as new industries, such as railroad works, were developed.
Angers also became renowned for its horticulture, earning the nickname ‘Black Garden City’ because of its dark, fertile soil, and for its massive slate quarrying industry.
Angers was damaged again during World War II bombings, but today, Angers is a lively university city and an important economic hub.
Attractions
Put Angers on your list for its architecture. Its history is evident in the many styles you’ll see in the city.
Château d’Angers
This impressive castle has 17 massive towers, fortified stone walls that tower over the city, and is surrounded by a moat. Its Grand Hall has a soaring vaulted ceiling.
Apocalypse Tapestry
A major attraction in the castle, it was commissioned in the late 14th century and is woven in brightly coloured wool. Almost unbelievably (or maybe not), during the French Revolution, some of it was cut up and used as doormats! The surviving 104-metre section is in remarkably good condition and depicts ‘end of the world’ scenes from the Book of Revelation.
The tapestry is on the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register. You can see it in a special ‘climate-controlled’ gallery.
Barrault House
Logis Barrault was built in the 15th century for the King’s Treasurer. Since then, it has been a seminary, a school, a museum, and a library. It now holds the city’s Fine Arts collection and you can still see many of its magnificent architectural features.
Cathedral of Saint Maurice
This impressive cathedral dates from the 12th century and has a particularly striking façade that blends Romanesque and Gothic styles.
Hospital of Saint-Jean
The massive 12th-century château was once a charity refuge for the poor and the sick. It is now the home of Angers’ archaeological museum.
Adam’s House
Maison d’Adam is a 15th-century timber-framed house that is a ‘must-stop’ photograph point – especially for the Adam and Eve (and many other) carvings. Inside, it is also a museum showcasing Angers’ art and history.
See more (including the ‘naughty bits’) at the website.
The Cointreau Museum
The Cointreau Museum opened in 1996 on the original distillery site and provides visitors with an in-depth look at the history of the famed orange liqueur brand.
Read all about it in Why The Brothers Never Wasted Orange Peel.
Museums
Angers has many museums and galleries that present a comprehensive overview of fine art, crafts, and culture throughout its long history.
One of its most prominent museums is the Musée des Beaux-Arts, located in the historic Logis Barrault. Its collections include paintings, sculptures, and objets d’art from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Here, you will find works by Rubens, Ingres, Delacroix, and Picasso. Also on display are sculptures from the Renaissance and Baroque eras and a unique collection of antique Greek ceramics.
Galerie David d’Angers is a stunning medieval abbey with a high glass-paned roof, which illuminates the collection of beautiful sculptures of David d’Angers (1788-1856).
For regional art, the Musée Jean-Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine showcases modern tapestry works.
The Musée Pincé, housed in a 16th-century mansion, is a small free museum focusing on Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities.
The Musée-Château de Villevêque holds collections of fine arts and treasures in a former fortress and Bishop’s residence
For details and opening hours, see the website and put other museums in Angers on your list.
Monsters
We’re not really the sort of people who believe in monsters, but then there is this in the botanical park.
Festivals and events
No matter the time of year, Angers provides traditional and contemporary cultural events and festivals for locals and visitors.
From February to April, Angers holds its springtime Printemps du Livre book fair and literary festival, hosting booksellers and author talks.
In May, the Foire Exposition d’Angers hosts an enormous trade fair event at the Parc des Expositions with agricultural exhibits, industry and technology booths, crafts, and regional food and drink to sample.
For three days every June, the city puts on Les Années Joué, transforming public spaces into creative venues for circus acts, dance, and pyrotechnic displays.
Music festivals include Tempo Rives in June, featuring pop, rock, and hip-hop acts next to the Maine River.
One of the largest festivals is Les Accroche-Coeurs, an international street theatre and music festival held annually in July. For ten days, mimes, musicians, dancers, and other performers from around the world present drama, song, mime, fun, and some serious silliness.
Other Fêtes d’Angers (festivals) are in July for the French National Day, when there’s a massive celebration with sound and light shows, parades, and fireworks over the Maine, and in December for Christmas celebrations.
Angers Christmas Market is usually in Place du Ralliement and in Rue Lenepveu in the city centre. Market stalls (chalets) will have gifts, Christmas decorations, local produce, plenty to eat, as well as mulled wine and roasted chestnuts.
Food
Angers is a food destination with the highest standards and offers visitors some outstanding choices.
There’s no doubt that the moderate climate has contributed to the city’s strong reputation for horticulture. As a result, Angers is an important centre for market gardening and winegrowing.
Angers is not widely recognised for any one particular dish, but for several specialties.
For lunch or dinner, choose from one of the many restaurants where chefs produce exquisite creations from Angevin produce. Their cuisine promises freshness, originality, quality, fine flavours, and memorable food moments.
With six rivers in the area, freshwater fish such as trout, eel, and pikeperch are local staples. You’ll also find poulet à l’angevine (chicken with white wine, cream and mushrooms), the gouline pie (pork, white wine, mushrooms, and shallots) and rillauds (pork belly pieces).
Dessert lovers will appreciate Crémet d’Anjou, made from fromage blanc and cream and served with fresh fruit. You can visit the Boulangerie des Carmes to eat their pâté aux prunes (prune pie) and make sure you try the Doyenné du Comice pears.
Maison du Quernon‘s little blue chocolates look suspiciously like Angers’ slate-covered rooftops, and Chocolaterie Benoit offers exceptional Caramandes and Menthe Pastille chocolates. You won’t be disappointed; we weren’t.
A tasting session of the wines of Anjour-Saumur at the Maison des Vins opposite the castle is a must for wine lovers. The liqueur brands Cointreau and Giffard (famous for its mint liqueur) are based in Angers, and they are well worth a visit.
Further afield
- Just 15 km south of Angers is the majestic Château de Brissac, said to be the tallest castle in France. Its lavishly furnished interior and surrounding vineyard make it a top attraction. Visit the village of Brissac-Quincé, too for its medieval architecture and local wine tasting
- The riverside town of Saumur, about 50 km south-east of Angers, is famous for its Cadre Noir National Riding School and local sparkling wines. The Château de Saumur has been an important part of Anjou’s history and is worth a visit
Angers also make an ideal base to explore the châteaux of the Loire Valley. Many, such as Château d’Ussé, which inspired Sleeping Beauty, and Château de Montsoreau, one of the Loire’s few château museums, are within an hour’s drive.
With so many options close by, visitors to Angers can quickly fill their time exploring the culture and scenery of the surrounding Anjou region.
Information
LOCATION: Pays de la Loire, on the Maine River.
DISTANCE FROM PARIS: 300 km (186 miles) to the southwest.
POPULATION: 150,000+
NEAREST AIRPORT: Angers Loire Airport (ANE) for domestic and limited international flights, about 25 km (16 miles) southwest of the city centre; for international travellers, Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE) is about 100 km (62 miles) south of Angers.
NEAREST TRAIN STATION: Gare d’Angers-Saint-Laud.
TOURIST INFORMATION: 7 Pl. du Président Kennedy.
MARKETS: Place du Ralliement (weekly market); Marché Lafayette.
MUST SEE: Château d’Angers
