A Visit to France – Angers

Even though we were on the move all the time during our mini road trip, we decided that sleeping in the same city would be a good idea. We chose Angers because it was rather close to all the areas we visited.

Angers is located about 300 kilometres of Paris, in the Maine-et-Loire department, and at the confluence of the rivers Mayenne, Sarthe, and Loir. Originally known as Juliomagus or Juliomagus Andecavorum (a combination of 'Julius' and the Celtic 'magos' or 'market), it was first mentioned by Ptolemy in A.D. 150. It acquired several names, the last being Angiers, in the 12th century. Afterwards, the spelling was corrupted to Angers.

Angers is the former capital of Anjou and the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty. A majorstronghold in northwestern France for a long time, it became part of the Kingdom of France in the 13th century. After the Black Death (1347-1350) and the Hundred Years War (1337-1453), René of Anjou transformed the city into a cultural and political center.

Did you know that, in September 1939, the Polish government-in-exile settled in Angers for nine months? It was forced to leave after the Germans had invaded France. The city actually was the seat of a regional Kommandantur and an active resistance group.

Angers features universities, museums and an old medieval center, dominated by the Château des ducs d'Anjou. There, you will find the Apocalypse Tapestry (1380), a series of six scenes illustrating the Apocalypse of St John and the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the world. The city is also known for its industrial sector, and horticulture and business tourism industries.

NB: We only had time to visit Angers one evening. So, no daylight photo this time... 😉