Angers

Angers, the county town of Maine-et-Loire, is a city of art and history at the heart of Anjou, on the edge of the UNESCO-listed Loire Valley. Its medieval castle, with towers of dark slate and white tufa stone, houses the famous Apocalypse Tapestry, one of the largest surviving medieval tapestries in the world. The historic centre is notable for Saint-Maurice Cathedral, built in the Angevin Gothic style, and for La Doutre district with its timber-framed houses, including the Maison d'Adam. The city is crossed by the River Maine, a tributary of the Loire, offering pleasant riverside walks towards Lac de Maine, a nature area popular for relaxation and water sports. Nature lovers can visit Terra Botanica, a theme park dedicated to plants, or stroll through the Jardin des Plantes. The wider region is also known for its Anjou wines and for Cointreau liqueur, whose distillery lies nearby. With a mild oceanic climate, Angers makes a convenient base for exploring the châteaux of the Loire Valley.