For more information, visit the Angers Loire Valley Tourist Office at www.angersloiretourisme.com.
City region:Loire Valley / Pays de la Loire
Population & what they are called: 155,734 inhabitants (2016 census), called Angevins
Access from Paris:
by road: about 3 hours (185 miles) via A11 autoroute (L'Océane)
by train: about 1 h 30 min by TGV from the Gare Montparnasse, and about 2 h 20 min by direct TGV from Paris CDG airport
Famous native daughters & sons:
Herzé Bazin, writer
Edouard Cointreau, creator of Cointreau
Nicolas Mahut, tennis player
Most distinctive and/or unique fact or trait (or little known fact):
The Apocalypse Tapestry on display in the Château d’Angers is the oldest French medieval tapestry to have survived to the present day and the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the world.
Angers is the largest horticultural center in Europe.
Notable sites:
Cité – the historic center of Angers is like a journey back in time
Château of Angers – the Loire Valley's largest fortress, which houses the spectacular medieval Apocalypse Tapestry
Terra Botanica – the world’s first “edutainment” park to be themed on plants and gardens (terrabotanica.fr/en/)
Top annual events:
Balade du roi René – a nocturnal tour in summertime that showcases highlights of the historic center through lights and entertainment (labaladeduroirene.fr)
Levitation France – psychedelic rock music festival, formerly the Austin Psych Fest, in reference to its twin city of Austin, Texas (levitation-france.com)
Festival Premiers Plans – a film festival for first and second feature films, first short films and student films (premiersplans.org/festival/en/)
Most notable museums:
Musée des Beaux-Arts – a fine arts museum also covering the history of Angers (musees.angers.fr/langues-etrangeres/english/musee-des-beaux-arts/the-site/index.html)
Jean Lurçat and Contemporary Tapestry Museum – works of textile art from the 1950s to the present displayed in a 12th-century hospital (musees.angers.fr/langues-etrangeres/english/musee-jean-lurcat-et-de-la-tapisserie-contemporaine/the- site/index.html)
David d'Angers Gallery – a restored abbey-church showcasing the works of David d’Angers, a 19th-century sculptor (musees.angers.fr/langues-etrangeres/english/galerie-david-d-angers/the-site/index.html)
Culinary specialties:
fricassée de poulet à l’angevine – made with chicken, onions, mushrooms, cream and Anjou wine
Crémet d'Anjou – a dessert made with a base of whipped fromage blanc or crême fraiche and usually topped with seasonal berries
Quernons d'Ardoise – a small square of nougatine (caramelized hazelnuts and almonds) wrapped in blue chocolate
Local wines & spirits:
Cointreau – the orange-flavored liqueur produced exclusively in Angers (carre-cointreau.fr)
Anjou wines – a diverse and heady choice of dry and sweet whites, rosés and fruity reds are sourced from surrounding vineyards in the third largest wine region in France
Menthe-Pastille – a white mint liqueur
Shopping:
Slate items – saucers, plates and more made of the local stone
Small tapestries – mini versions of the city's famous medieval and contemporary tapestries
Most popular night spots:
guinguettes – local, open-air, riverside restaurants like Le Héron Carré
Le Cercle Rouge – wine bar with over 300 wines
Disco Le Boléro – a great place to go dancing in the busy St-Laud pedestrian zone
Local population’s favorite activities (or hangouts):
La Doutre – a quiet residential district where locals go to eat and drink on the Place de la Laiterie
Cycling – Angers is located at the crossroad of the three cycle routes, and boasts a scenic Angers loop of the Loire à Vélo route (cycling-loire.com)
Wine Routes – follow the scenic wine routes along the Loire river and through small villages
Local industries:
Cité for the Internet of Things – with 900 businesses and 7000 workers in the digital and electronics sectors
fruit – headquarters of the European Community Plant Variety Office, which encourages innovation in plant varieties; and Pomanjou, an international fruit grower specialized in apple production
In Pop Culture:
- Viper in the Fist (Vipère au Poing) by Hervé Bazin – a classic novel in France, given to high school students to read
Major 2020 developments:
- In 2000 a 170-mile stretch of the Loire Valley and the sister region of Western Loire were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from Sully-sur-Loire in the Loire Valley to Chalonnes-sur-Loire in the Western Loire.
About Top French Cities - www.francepresskit.com
Top French Cities is an association of 29 cities, from regional capitals like Bordeaux to important towns like Avignon and Versailles. They are perfect for young travelers, families and anyone else looking for fun and authentic French experiences that will fit their budget. Most of these cities are university towns with a youthful atmosphere, but all of them reflect the heritage and distinctive flavors of the regions to which they belong. Many are forward-looking too, with historic buildings repurposed to house contemporary art and activity centers like Les Docks in Marseille. Many have created or integrated new, modern museums to contrast with their classical, architectural heritage, like in Nimes, where the cutting-edge Museum of Roman Civilization (Musée de la Romanité) is located across from the historic Roman amphitheater, or in Nantes, where whimsical mechanical creatures are being created, or in the UNESCO World Heritage Site concrete city of Le Havre.