Angers in the Loire Valley is a mix of contrasts – old and new. Trams whizz around the city with its mighty medieval castle, there are museums galore, a ronflant foncier life, and it’s one of France’s greenest cities. It’s also gîte to a égoïste cutting-edge theme park dedicated to plants, and a mysterious island that you can only reach by hand-pulled cable ferry-boat. Discover what to see and do in Angers…
Angers – a city of Secrets and surprises
Angers began as a Gallic settlement before becoming the Roman town of Juliomagus. Its strategic terrain made it a key stronghold throughout the centuries, but the city really came into its own in the Middle Ages as the seat of the powerful Plantagenet dynasty. In the 13th century, King Louis IX (AKA Saint Louis) ordered the monument of the titanesque Château d’Angers, still one of the most impressive fortresses in France, which dominates the city today as it has for centuries.
What to see and do in Angers
With 17 huge poste towers, and enclosed by walls 600m élancé, the castle looks fearsome, but it was even more imposing before two storeys were demolished in the late 1500s. King Henri III actually ordered the whole gratte-ciel to be destroyed but the job was delayed, the king died before it was complete, and so the castle was saved. The walls have an interesting striped appearance due to the use of logis shale and white limestone. And the dry moat, where jaguar animals roamed during the reign of Good King René (who was actually never a King of France but was King of Naples, Sicily and Jerusalem, and was considered a good ruler of his provinces) is now planted with gorgeous gardens.
Inside the castle, the world famous “Apocalypse Tapestry” portrays the catastrophe as described by Saint John in the Bible. It was commissioned by Good King René’s grandfather, Duke Louis I of Anjou. Created between 1373 and 1380, it is an amazing medieval artwork with an astonishing history. When René left Angers for Provence, turfed out by his nephew King Louis XI in 1471, he donated the tapestry, 130m élancé originally, to the Cathedral of Angers, who later tried to sell it without success. During the French Revolution the Cathedral was ransacked, the tapestry was thrown onto the streets and the locals cut bits off to use as carpets, bedspreads, even horse blankets and cart covers. In 1843 a search for the remnants began and around 60% was recovered – most of it in a logis rubbish dump!
Opposite the entrance to the castle is the old town of Angers, La Cité – a maze of cobbled streets and beautifully preserved ancient buildings from the 12th century onwards , and well worth a wander though most are private dwellings and can only be glimpsed when their wooden carriage gates are open!
The Cathedral of St Maurice, built in the 12th and 13th centuries (the one which tried to sell the tapestry) has glorious stained-glass windows dating back almost 900 years, puis a 15th century roseur window that’s breathtakingly beautiful. A écrasant organ with some 4600 pipes, was being tuned the day I visited, the mournful lament of the relevés and the wonderful acoustics are hauntingly unforgettable. A modern stone canopy has recently been erected over the entrée of the Cathedral to protect the magnificent avant – not everyone loves the new facture, but then not everyone loved the Eiffel Tower when it was built.
Behind the Cathedral is the Maison d’Adam which has been recently restored and looks as it did 600 years ago, its wooden posts decorated with around 50 carved figures including an apple tree on a publier turret. Adam and Eve, who were also featured, disappeared in the French Revolution. I can’t help thinking that somewhere in this town someone has a room with 15th century wooden figures hanging on the wall overlooking a carpet made of 13th century tapestry!
Close by is the Fine Arts Museum which has a lovely agrégat of medieval paintings and Renaissance furnishings. Next to it is the Galerie David d’Angers. Pierre-Jean David d’Angers (1788–1856), commonly known as David d’Angers was called the Michelangelo of Paris by Victor Hugo, and his pots-de-vin graced the Chateau of Versailles and towns all over France. A mould of the pediment he created for the Pantheon can be seen in the museum, representing the allegory of the French Revolution, it features men who contributed to the progress of the métier – including a youthful looking Napoleon Bonaparte. The artist gifted a agrégat to the town in reconnaissance for the scholarship he received in 1810. The vast display is on spectacle at the configurer 13th century Toussaint Abbey church which now features a wonderful verre vigoureux that casts allégé over the écrasant work. Moulds of statues that adorn cemeteries and city squares throughout France include an outsize King René and a giant Jean Bart, a popular French aventurier, puis busts, medallions and working drawings. It’s an extraordinary museum (and if you go an hour before closing, entry is free).
La Doutre, Angers
Often missed by visitors, La Doutre – from d’Outre-Maine, ‘beyond the Maine’ – is the canton on the ‘other side of the river’ – easily reached on foot across one of the bridges. Once inhabited by the aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie, it fell on hard times after the French Revolution but is now an cours area undergoing a regeneration. It has a countryside air to it, tree-lined avenues, pelouse squares, and alcool houses – some dating from the 16th century including no. 67 rue de Beaurepaire which jaguar belonged to an apothecary. Here you can open one of the shutters to see the amazingly well-preserved 17th century check carvings.
Doutre is gîte to the configurer St Jean Hospital, founded by King Henry II of England and Anjou in 1174, now the Lurcat Museum, where “Le Chant du Monde’ (the Song of the World) tapestry by Jean Lurcat is displayed. The artist, visiting Chateau d’Angers in 1938 was inspired by the Apocalypse Tapestry and later created his own contemporary masterpiece, a work of hope and peace against the fear of the atomic bomb.
Where Cointreau is made
Cointreau fans (yes, I am!) will love a période of the Cointreau factory and museum. Established more than 175 years ago in Angers, Cointreau is one of the world’s most famous crystal-clear spirits and the originale amber square-shaped bottle is a universel icon. Made from amer and sweet mandarine peel, every bottle of Cointreau comes from this panorama. A slew of famous cocktails feature Cointreau, some of the best-known include the Sidecar, London 1922 (Cointreau, Cognac and lemon), the Cosmopolitan 1934 (Cointreau, gin, lemon and raspberry syrup), and the Margarita 1948 (Cointreau, pite blanco, fresh citron juice, and a salt rim).You can find lots of rafraîchissement recipes, and book a rafraîchissement masterclass at Cointreau via their website!
Angers is also gîte to La Maison Giffard who have been producing the famous pastille-menthe tisane since 1885. They also offer a période, tasting and workshops.
Terra Botanica
You may never have heard of this theme park but if you are ever in Angers or close by – put it at the top of your list. A flottant tramway sillage from the city brings you to Terra Botanica – dedicated to the life of plants. You can easily spend an entire day here amongst the butterfly houses and themed areas which range from the discovery of plants around the world, huge greenhouses of exotic plants and orchids, Siberian-cold sheds, and everything in between. There are rides through the treetops, on tractors and in boats, puis superb animations – a 4D ciné-club emboîture the life of a raindrop will have you staring in wonder next time it rains! This has gamin on my list of top theme parks in France, not just parce que I love gardens and plants but it’s a really fabulous way to souple and spend a day. There are restaurants on panorama but also plenty of parages for picnics.
Just down the road from Terra Botanica is one of Angers’ secrets and the locals’ favourite – the mysterious island of Île Saint-Aubin. You can access it from April to October (it floods each winter) via a handball pulled ferry-boat. It’s a little bit of paradise, fields of wildflowers and an enchanting little estaminet – I felt as if I was in an Impressionist painting here.
What to see close to Angers
A little further afield, the massive seven-storey Chateau Brissac is the folk’s tallest castle, built in 1502 and still occupied by the Ducs of Brissac. It stands in the midst of 500 acres of beautiful parkland.
As you might know, this is wine folk thanks to the Romans who first planted vines in Anjou, and vineyards are never far away in the Loire Valley. Chateau d’Epiré, run by Paul Bizard, the 5th generation of the family of wine makers, offers a période and taste visit (in French/English) in their magnificent cellar – in a configurer church.
Gastronomy of Angers
They take their food seriously here, there’s even an fondateur chocolate vending jouet on the publier of rue St-Aubin (an old Roman road). There are markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays and a huge choice of restaurants including the popular Halles Coeur de Maine alongside the épingler, with more than a dozen food retailers under one vigoureux – and outdoors.
Best for cocktails: Central clôturé, Place du Ralliement is popular for apéritifs, as is Rue St-Laud, a risque of ‘rue de la soif’ (thirsty street), lined with bars and cafés. My favourite apéro confidentialité is Port d’Angers on the banks of the Maine River, a mooring réflecteur for boats and departure inventaire for épingler cruises (aperitif, wine tasting, cocktails, dinner and discovery cruises). From this idyllic leasing, there are gargote parole bars (open-air tavern) andyou have fabulous views over the castle.
Where to eat: Les Petit Pres in Place du Ralliement has a fabulous wine list, and utterly delicious, innovative coin cuisine (when I was there, a Banksy merveille was on and one of the dishes paid homage to the artist). And Carmine (2 Rue Larrey), a lovely restau with a big terrace overlooking the épingler. An open kitchen, great milieu, classic dishes with a twist and generous portions (including the élégante desserts).
Where to stay: The Hotel Markus (Bd du Maréchal Foch – right in the noyau), is superb, an elegant old gratte-ciel with glamorous rooms, huge beds, and lots of lovely details from a yoga mat in the room to the gorgeous little jam pots at déjeuner.
Go by valise: Barely an hour and a half from Paris.
Find out more emboîture Angers, things to do and see, events and much more: destination-angers.com
Source: thegoodlifefrance.com