Things to do in Angers
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Cathédrale St-Maurice
Angers' austere, mainly 12th- to 13th-century Cathédrale St-Maurice, in the centre of the historic Quartier de la Cité, has a striking Norman porch and nave (mid-1100s); the latter's three convex vaults, forming a perfect square, are outstanding examples of mid-12th-century Angevin (Plantagenet) vaulting. The stained-glass windows date from the 12th to the 16th centuries. In the 18th century a humungous organ was erected inside the western façade, facing the very baroque high altar (1758).
Long home to the Apocalypse tapestry, the cathedral continues to exhibit religiously-themed tapestries.
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Fine Arts Museum
In the Fine Arts Museum objects illustrating the history of Angers are gorgeously displayed on the ground floor. Upstairs, the paintings - none of them consciousness-changing but many of them excellent - include some compelling Italian works from the first half of the 1800s.
Here you will find the dramatic, Dante-inspired Paolo et Francesca by Jean-August-Dominique Ingres, in which Francesca's elderly and deformed husband, a homicidal look on his face, discovers his wife in the arms of his younger brother Paoli (in one of the two red rooms). Audioguides are being prepared.
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Tenture de l'Apocalypse
The magnificent Tenture de l'Apocalypse is a 101m-long series of 70 tapestries, commissioned by Louis I, Duke of Anjou, in 1375 to illustrate the Revelation to John - the last book of the New Testament. From June to August free guided tours begin at 10:30 and 16:00. There are plans to introduce free audioguides. Tapestry of the Apocalypse at Angers: Front and Back (around €33), available in the gift shop, explains all, scene by scene. Ticket sales end 45 minutes before closing.
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Auberge Angevine
Wenches and knaves in medieval costume serve up platters of roasted pork and goblets of red wine - and all-you-can-eat fouaces (Loire Valley pitas) - in this themed restaurant that doesn't take itself too seriously. The venue is a cavernous old chapel, with wooden benches and candelabras. A medieval wardrobe is available for adults and kids alike. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights there are jesters and live medieval music - book in advance.
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Château d'Angers Fortress
Other than the view, the only good reason to pay to get into the 13th-century Château d'Angers fortress - whose feudal features are, in any case, best admired from outside - is to see the magnificent Tenture de l'Apocalypse (Apocalypse tapestry), a 101m-long series of 70 tapestries commissioned by Louis I, Duke of Anjou in 1375 to illustrate the Revelation to John, the last book of the New Testament.
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Galerie David d'Angers
Larger-than-life sculptures by Angers-born sculptor David d'Angers (1788-1856) are displayed in Galerie David d'Angers, housed in a 12th-century abbey church transformed into contemporary architecture in the early 1980s. The cloister next door leads to a garden overlooked by Nikki de St-Phalle's colourful Serpent Tree, a children's playground (behind the library) and the Musée des Beaux-Arts.
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Cointreau Museum
At the Cointreau Museum you won't discover the top-secret recipe for the famous orange liqueur - every bottle of which is made right here - but you will find yourself inhaling some pretty intoxicating aromas. The 13:30 tour in July and August is in English. The museum is off the ring road to the east of Angers. By bus, take No 7 from the train station.
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Maison d'Adam
Behind the Cathédrale St-Maurice on place Ste-Croix is the Maison d'Adam (c 1500), a half-timbered house on whose ornate façade wooden sculptures run riot. The Tree of Life, on the corner, used to be flanked by Adam and Eve (another lovey-dovey couple can be seen nearby).
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Jean Lurçat Museum of Contemporary Tapestry
Ensconced in the opulent, Gothic-vaulted sick wards of a one-time hospital (1180-1865), the Jean Lurçat Museum of Contemporary Tapestry showcases monumental 20th-century tapestries by Jean Lurçat, Thomas Gleb and others.
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Inishmore
A genuine Irish bar (the patron hails from Roscommon) with football and rugby on the telly and live traditional Irish music on most Fridays at 21:00 or 22:00. A favoured hangout of English-speaking students.
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Le Bouchon Angevin
A French restaurant whose reasonably priced bourgeois cuisine has given it a loyal local following. It has an impressive wine list and serves about 15 wines by the glass. Worth the walk across the river.
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Le Petit Comptoir
A modern, elegant place on two levels whose traditional French cuisine is made only with fresh local ingredients. Considered by some to be Angers' best restaurant.
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Montée St-Maurice
The square in front of the Cathédrale St-Maurice is linked to the river by a monumental staircase, Montée St-Maurice.
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Maison du Vin de l'Anjou
The Maison du Vin de l'Anjou, facing the chateau, is a good place to sample Anjou and Saumur wines.
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Sport ECO
Sport ECO hires bicycles. The tourist office also rents bicycles from June to September.
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Villa Toussaint
With its chic dining room and decked patio, you know you're in for a treat at this fusion place, combining pan-Asian flavours with classic French ingredients. The combinaisons bring together several dishes on one plate, from sushi to Thai chicken and tapas. Reserve ahead.
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Quartier de la Cité
In the heart of the old city, Cathédrale St-Maurice is one of the earliest examples of Plantagenet or Angevin architecture in France, distinguished by its rounded ribbed vaulting, 15th-century stained glass and a 12th-century portal depicting the Day of Judgment. Across the square from the cathedral on place Ste-Croix is the Maison d'Adam (c 1500), one of the city's best-preserved medieval houses, decorated with a riot of carved, bawdy figurines. From the square in front of the cathedral a monumental staircase, the Montée St-Maurice, leads down to the river.
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Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine
Providing an interesting counterpoint to Angers' other famous piece of needlework, this museum collects major 20th-century tapestries by Jean Lurçat, Thomas Gleb and others inside the Hôpital St-Jean, a 12th-century hospital founded by Henry Plantagenet. The centrepiece is the Chant du Monde (Song of the World), an amazing series depicting the trials and triumphs of modern humanity, from nuclear holocaust and space exploration to the delights of drinking Champagne. Odd and unmissable.
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Musée des Beaux-Arts
The buildings of the sprawling, fantastic fine-arts museum mix plate glass with the fine lines of the typical Angevin aristocratic house. The museum has a section on the history of Angers and an superior 17th- to 20th-century collection: Monet, Ingres, Lorenzo Lippi and Flemish masters including Rogier van der Weyden.
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Maison du Vin de l'Anjou
Head here for the lowdown on local Anjou and Loire vintages: tasting, sales, tours and tips on where to buy wines.
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