Overview

Situated where the Maine River enters the Loire, Angers is a bustling French city that is both medieval and contemporary providing a high quality of life to its residents and plenty of interest for its visitors. The city is the capital of Anjou, a historical province ruled by dukes and counties who wielded serious power in medieval times. Today it is home to around 160,000 inhabitants within the city, and roughly 270,000 people in the great metropolitan area.

The city abounds with lakes, rivers, landscaped parks, museums and galleries as well as an excellent choice of restaurants. Angers prides itself as one of those unique French cities that offers both a laid back vibe with a lot going on. It is a university city that gives it a youthfulness which manifests itself in the many street entertainers, festivals and cultural events. You’ll find a number of welcoming alfresco cafes which get livelier as darkness falls. Explore the historic tapestries, exceptional art galleries and museums, discover the botanical garden, tour the chateaux, or a wintery, and so much more.

Things to see and do

Discover the Angers Castle (Château d’Angers). Built in the 9th century under Louis IX rule, but expanded further during the 13th century, the castle is truly impressive. There are two entrances, complete with draw-briges, allowing for access. There are a lot of stairways and corridors, both in and around the garden that make it easy to spend a good part of your day touring. You can walk the ramparts of the fortress with 17 lookout towers overlooking the city and surroundings, and get a feeling of the security it once provided. The castle also houses a tapestry museum that includes the famous 100-yard long Apocalypse series tapestries of Nicholas Bataille - portraying the end of the world as described in the Book of Revelation - it is a medieval wonder!

Another notable structure is the twin-spiraled Cathedral of Saint Maurice. This is the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese in Angers. The stunning architecture is equal parts Romanesque and Gothic. The remarkable stained glass windows were created in 1451 by glassmaker Andre Robin and remain a highlight of the cathedral’s decor.

Discover the 12th-century Hôpital Saint-Jean, a remarkable piece of Angevin gothic design (and it's impressive how much of it is still here). La Grande Salle des Malades (Hall of the Sick), measures 200 ft by 72 ft and has beautiful vaulting, while the granary, 17th-century apothecary and cloister have been almost completely preserved. This is where the Chant du Monde (Song of the World), a sequence of ten modern tapestries by the artist Jean Lurçat, which are a kind of synopsis of all the good and bad in the world, inspired by the Apocalypse Tapestry on display at the castle.

Enjoy some culture at the Musée des Beaux-Arts (Anger’s Fine Arts Museum), situated in the renaissance Logis Barrault, as one of the top regional museums in France. Here you’ll find portraits, statues, and local artifacts relevant to Angers and its region.

For more art, check out the Galerie David d’Angers located in a beautiful converted abbey. David d’Angers was a leading sculptor in the 18th and 19th centuries, receiving commissions from all over Europe and even America. The museum is home to many of the preparatory plasters d’Angers made before fashioning marble or bronze sculptures. There are 985 statues, medallions and busts in all, including those for preeminent contemporary figures like Geothe, Victor Hugo Balzac and Chateaubriand. This hidden gem is definitely a don’t-miss spot in Angers.

Explore Terra Botanica, located just north of the city, featuring a huge botanical garden and amusement park. When it opened in 2010 it became the first theme park based on plants and botany. The park is largely organic, with 300,000 plants from around the world, there are different colors and scents depending on the season. If time allows, take a guided boat tour for the full experience.

Further outside of Angers, you’ll find more Chateaus worth exploring. An easy 15-minute drive will bring you to the beautiful Château de Brissac. The renaissance and baroque design you see today is from the 16th century, and was constructed from the orders of Pierre de Breze, a chief minister for King Charles VII. At seven storeys tall it’s the highest chateau in France, with 200 rooms and has been in the same family for 20 generations. While the interior is beautiful, with old kitchens, a theater and wine cellars, the must-see areas are the gardens, which offer walking paths, a 500-year-old vineyard, and lovely well-kept greenery.

Food and Nightlife

Anjou cooking is known for its Loire Valley river fish and sweet dishes and, thanks to its long history, dishes based on medieval and Renaissance recipes. Fish are prepared traditionally such as pike in white butter sauce, perch with prunes, and fish stews. The region’s meat is just as famous, particularly Maine Anjou beef and dishes like veal à l’Angevine which comes with onion purée. Anjou is known for its rillettes, sausages, and white puddings which you'll find in both restaurants and in upmarket charcuteries.

Fruit and vegetables include chouées (boiled cabbage with melted butter), while Belle-Angevine pears are usually cooked in red wine.

Desserts include fouée; (a pancake made from dough and covered with fresh butter), and cremet d'Anjou, a local dessert made with cow's milk cheese, whisked egg whites, and whipped cream.

Wines have been produced around Angers for centuries and were drunk in the English courts during the long reign of the Plantagenet monarchs. There is a wide variety of wines made in the region, from dry to very sweet, to sparkling to rosés which are well known abroad.

Restaurants in Angers are excellent and include two one-star Michelin restaurants (Une Ile and Le Loft Culinaire, in the excellent Hotel 21 Foch), plus many good value brasseries/bistros. Angers offers several amazing restaurants, lively nightlife and a thriving café culture. There is something for everyone when it comes to food - from Michelin starred restaurants to local bistros serving locally produced food. The French culture really takes the time to appreciate the art of the meal, and the eateries in Anger really hit the mark using local delicacies from the Loire valley.

Angers nightlife offers a lot when it comes to entertainment. From dancing, drinking, excellent dining options, enjoying a concert, of just relaxing over a movie at the city-theatre, you'll find it here. Head for places like place du Ralliement or rue St. Laud, where most of the city bars, cafés and clubs are located. You will get to socialize with the locals as well as international students at these city clubs and bars which mostly entertain guests till 3 to 4 am.

Cointreau

Angers is also home to the famous Cointreau liqueur. Cointreau, the triple-sec liqueur, originated in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou, which is a suburb of Angers, 2.5 miles from the Angers Castle. The factory today still produces the entire world’s supply. You will be given a two-hour tour of the 32,000 sq ft factory where ipads provide you with all the facts about the varieties of oranges that go into it, and get the brand’s full history. The Cointreau Museum offers a world of stories and discoveries. End the tour enjoying samples of the different flavors of Cointreau at the tasting session.

Local Arts

Angers offer a wealth of performing art and theatrical history. The Grand Theater established initially in the 18th century and the more current Theatre du Quai, both provide a home for numerous theatre companies to perform, while Le Chabada is an excellent concert hall, considered to be the center of Angevin culture, hosting several bands and artists throughout the year, and also where many of these artists have been discovered. Along with the remarkable performing arts culture of Angers, the city also hosts a number of lively festivals which include a street performing festival - Accroche Coeurs and the Premier Plans which is dedicated to Europe’s first films.