Angers is a medium sized French city which is the capital of the Maine-et-LoirePays de la Loire. It offers the traveller a mixture of an typical French night-life, historically rich street-scapes & great shopping opportunities.
To historians & travellers interested in discovering France's rich medieval history Angers is located in the French region which was known as Anjou in the Middle Ages. Today Angers is an bustling French city which is home to around 150,000 people in the city itself and roughly 270,000 people in the greater metropolitan area.
Access
By car
Like most French cities Angers can be easily accessed by motorway. The A11 connects Angers to the French capital Paris and nearby Le Mans. By car Angers lies roughly 295km west of Paris and 95km west of Le Mans.
Angers is also close to Nantes, Tours & Rennes, all of which are connected to Angers by motorway. Many of the motorways charge a toll which can vary from €2 up to €25.
By train
TGV offers frequent rail-links between Angers and many of France's major towns and cities. The trains are of generally of a very high quality, offer very comfortable seating and have suitable storage spaces for luggage. Trains are quite regular and generally depart on time. Ticket checks take place on every journey, as a result it is very important that you are in possession of a valid ticket at all times. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the train and the use of mobile phones in the seating area of the carriage is frowned upon by other passengers.
Angers is…
- Roughly between 90 minutes and 2 hours from Paris. (The train can be found in Gare Montparnasse in Paris)
- Around 45 minutes from the city of Nantes.
- 40 minutes from Le Mans (on the same line as the Paris-Angers route)
- 55 minutes from Tours.
By plane
- Nantes
- Paris (CDG)
- Paris (Beauvais)
- Bordeaux
Transportation
By bus
Public buses are widely available in Angers. These provide frequent access to the town-centre from the train station. Tickets, which can be purchased on the buses cost €1.20 for a 1 hour unlimited ticket or €3.30 for a whole-day pass. Bus routes are clearly marked on the maps which are in most bus stoips. The bus drivers generally speak a very basic level of English.
By taxi
Travellers who don't feel confident enough to take the bus can avail of a taxi. Taxis cannot be hailed on the street, however there is a taxi point next to the train station & in other various location sthroughout the city.
By foot
One of the best ways to experience Angers is by foot and generally all of the main tourist attractions + shopping areas are located in close proximity to one another. One exception to this is the near by lake which is roughly 30 minutes outside of the town. However, on a summer evening a walk out to the lake and back can be quite pleasant.
Lodging
See the Listing of the Hotels in Angers
Sightseeing and Activities
- The castle fortress of Angers is an impressive defence work. It has 17 towers and as a bonus, it hosts an extremely large mediaeval tapestry of the Apocalypse, which is arguably one of the very greatest artworks that has come down to us from the Middle Ages.
Museums
- The Jean Lurçat Museum Housed in the 12th century St. Jean’s Hospital buildings. Since 1967, “Le chant du monde†(the song of the earth) by Jean Lurçat is displayed in the patients’ ward. This is modern wall-hanging is a modern replica of the Apocalypse tapestry of Angers, which Lurçat discovered in 1937.
- The Museum of Fine Arts (Beaux Arts) Since 1796 The Museum of Fine Arts has been housed in the Barrault residence, a late 15th century private home. The collection includes paintings by painters such as Chardin, Watteau, Fragonard, Boucher, David and Ingres). The collection also includes Goldsmith’s work, enamel, and ivory arts.
- The Pincé Museum This museum is situated in the 16th century Pincé residence. It is a museum which primarilly focuses on the classical world. In line with this Classical focus the museum includes a selection of Greek & Roman artefacts including pottery & glasswork. There are similar items also on show to commemmorate Ancient Egypt, China & Japan also.
- The David d'Angers Gallery The All Saints Abbey is one of the biggest 13th century abbeys in Angers. Since 1984 it has housed an important collection of plaster models, medallions, marble & bronze statues which were sent by Jean-Pierre David (1788-1856) to his native town’s museum.
- The Regional Angers Marcé Air Museum Created by some local aviation enthusiasts who were determined to safeguard in our memories the role of those great men of the great flying adventure, such as Roland Garros, René Gasnier, etc. The aim of this museum was to give the visitor an opportunity to discover the second national collection of light and winged aircraft in France. Temporary exhibitions, guided conferences, and restoration of the “vieux coucous†demonstrations are organized on an on-going basis.
Surrounding
- Nantes – The historical capital of the region.
- Le Mans – A nearby town best known for its annual 24 hour automobile race.