"Angers, France" Top 5 Page for this destination Angers by TimDaoust

Angers Travel Guide: 140 reviews and 283 photos

Live and Study in Anjou

Two years ago I studied for a month in Angers on a program called Live and Study in Anjou. Angers is the capital of the Anjou region and is referred to as the gateway to the Loire Valley. Situated on the Maine River and home to some 30,000 students, it is both a college town and a historical goldmine. It is home to the ominous Chateau d'Angers which houses the famed Tapisserie de l'Apocalypse, the Cathedral St. Maurice, dating back to the 12th century and what is known as the purest French spoken anywhere in the world. And the people are lovely.

Chateau de Brissac, a sizeable one and my favorite

My dormitory was near the centre ville and a short walk from the Chateau D'Angers. As part of our curriculum we saw almost every monument and musee in Angers and the Loire Valley region. Wine tastings were not uncommon either. The wine in the Loire Valley is excellent (maybe not as famous as Bourgogne or Languedoc or Bordeaux but nonetheless amazing.) You can taste and buy Loire Valley wines at the Masion du Vin across from the Chateau. The centre ville is a beautiful place to visit and is easy to conquer on foot.

The whole group near St. Maurice cathedral

During our stay we were lucky to experience the fete de la musique, a festival that takes place all over the world every summer. Musicians perform in any and every venue for the entire evening. During the Fete, Angers was full of local music groups, one every ten feet in the centre ville, it seemed. It was an incredible experience and a great way to get to know a town. Angers is definitely my favorite place in Europe and that's not just because I've spent the most time there. Stay tuned because I'm in the process of sprucing this page up a bit and adding a load of pictures and tips to it.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Great history, beautiful charming city, great restaurants and the purest French spoken in the world...
Cons:none I can think of...
In a nutshell:Jewel of the Loire Valley...in my humble opinion

Last visit to Angers: Jun 2002
Intro Updated Jun 11, 2007
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Reviews (38)

La Marche Laffayette Shopping (2)

Every Wednesday they would have an open air market on one of the city streets...I really wish I could tell you where to... more travel advice

Bouvet Ladubay Off The Beaten Path (4)

Bouvet Ladubay makes sparkling wine in the Loire region. They have red, white and rose varieties. The same day we... more travel advice

Fountain in Angers Things to Do (14)

Check this out. This is the fountain at the bottom of the staircase that leads up to the St. Maurice Cathedral. I'm... more travel advice

Fete de la Musique in Place du Ralliement - Angers

Place du Ralliement Things to Do (14)

This is a great place to go hang out. It's one of the largest squares in downtown Angers. During the Fete de la Musique,... more travel advice

Travelogues (5)

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Comments (13)

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iandsmith Dec 29, 2011 at 10:27 PM

What a shame, looks like we've lost another. If you do return, thanks for the tips.
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balhannah Oct 25, 2010 at 5:57 PM

Nice page with plenty of helpful information.
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BruceDunning Oct 15, 2010 at 3:22 PM

We are searching the sites for this area from Bloise to Angers for one month in 2012. You have done an excellent job of showing and sites and describing them to the reader.
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sourbugger Dec 5, 2008 at 12:23 PM

great page you have put together here. it'smade me want to visit - and i can't ormally abide france
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ATLC Feb 26, 2008 at 12:26 AM

Very likeable page with all those descriptions of typical French food. The music festival is definitely great! I experienced it in Avignon. Wasn't Fontevrault Abbey great?!
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davequ Dec 19, 2005 at 4:04 PM

Lucky enough to live & study in Loire... now I KNOW yer francais is better than my miserable french. Great pages, thanks for sharing.
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tpal Jul 23, 2005 at 6:14 PM

Hi Tim, Next year we plan to visit France and this seems like an area to consider. It sounds like you had a great time while studying. Thanks for the tour...Tom
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CALSF May 20, 2005 at 5:32 AM

You have added really helpful tips onto an already awesome Angers page, TIm. I thought your new restaurant tips are exceptional. Never would've guessed there's so many int'l. restos in Angers! Thank you for sharing. ~Chery~
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starship Apr 6, 2005 at 6:59 AM

Excellent page! My husband & I visited Angers about 20 years ago while we were in France for our 10th anniversary!
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Mikebond Apr 2, 2005 at 10:31 AM

You have a very good Angers page as well!