Anjou

As you float down the Loire and enter Anjou, fortified châteaux give way to chalky-white tufa cliffs concealing an astonishing subterranean world of wine cellars, mushroom farms and (literally) underground art. Up on the surface, black slate roofs pepper the vine-rich land, which produces some of the Loire’s best wines.

Angers, the historic capital of Anjou, is famous for its powerful dukes, the fortified hilltop château they left behind, and the stunning medieval Apocalypse Tapestry. Other architectural gems in Anjou include the medieval Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, delightful riverside villages such as Candes-St-Martin, and some lovely châteaux. Europe’s highest concentration of troglodyte dwellings dots the banks of the Loire around cosmopolitan Saumur.

To take in the Anjou wine country by car, head northwest from Saumur along route D751 towards Gennes, or southeast on route D947 through Souzay-Champigny and Parnay. From Angers, cut southwest to Savennières.

Explore Anjou

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Anjou.

  • Historic Site

    Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

    The highlight of this 12th-century abbey complex is the vast but movingly simple church, notable for its soaring pillars, Romanesque domes and polychrome…

  • Farm

    École Nationale d’Équitation

    One of the world's premier equestrian academies, the prestigious French National Riding School is home to the Cadre Noir, an elite group of riding…

  • Chateau

    Château d’Angers

    Looming above the river, this forbidding medieval castle – seat of power of the once-mighty counts of Anjou – is ringed by moats, 2.5m-thick walls and 17…

  • Chateau

    Château de Brissac

    Owned by the Brissac family for 18 generations (since 1502), this seven-storey castle, the tallest in France, has 204 rooms, many of them sumptuously…

  • Château

    Château de Brézé

    Brézé sits on top of a network of subterranean rooms and passages, 1.5km of them open to the public, that include a boulangerie, wine cellars, defensive…

  • Historic Site

    Quartier de la Cité

    One of the earliest examples of Angevin (Plantagenet) architecture in France, Gothic Cathédrale St-Maurice is distinguished by its striking Norman portal…

  • Chateau

    Château de Serrant

    Owned and lived in by the same Irish family and its descendants since 1749, this elegant Renaissance-style castle, built on medieval foundations, is…

  • Church

    Cathédrale St-Maurice

    Angers' austere, mainly 12th- to 13th-century cathedral has a striking Norman porch and nave (mid-1100s); the latter's three convex vaults, forming a…

  • Museum

    Musée des Blindés

    Housed in a one-time cigarette factory, this non-profit museum displays more than 200 blindés (tanks) and other military vehicles – some in working order …

  • Gallery

    Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Has a superior 14th- to 20th-century collection (mainly paintings) that ranges from French masters Ingres, Fragonard and Watteau to the Florentine Lorenzo…

  • Museum

    Galerie David d’Angers

    The Angers-born sculptor Pierre-Jean David (1788–1856), aka David d’Angers, is renowned for his lifelike sculptures, which adorn public monuments such as…

  • Chateau

    Château de Saumur

    Soaring above the town’s rooftops, Saumur’s fairy-tale castle was largely built in the 13th century by Louis XI, and has served variously as a fortress…

  • Museum

    Musée du Champignon

    Get acquainted with some fabulous fungi at this mushroom museum, where you can see about a dozen varieties growing in glowing shades of orange, yellow,…

  • Cave

    Les Pommes Tapées

    This is one of the last places in France producing the traditionally made dried apples known as pommes tapées. You can see displays on how it’s done,…

  • Church

    Collégiale St-Martin

    This soaring, crenellated village church, built in the Gothic style from 1175 to 1240, venerates the spot where St Martin died in 397 and was buried for a…

  • Landmark

    Montée St-Maurice

    The square in front of Cathédrale St-Maurice is linked to a new riverside esplanade (under construction in 2018) and a gourmet covered market (set to open…

  • Historic Building

    Maison d'Adam

    Right behind Cathédrale St-Maurice stands the Maison d’Adam, one of the city’s best-preserved medieval houses (c 1500), which is decorated with a riot of…

  • Vineyard

    Langlois-Chateau

    Founded in 1885, this winery specialises in Crémant de Loire (sparkling wine made using the Champagne-style méthode traditionelle) as well as non-bubbly…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Anjou.

  • Activities