Did a search on Angers but still would like more direct replies of anyone who has been to Angers in Loire Valley. <BR> <BR>We will stop there to see the tapestries but is there anything else of major interest? Best we carry on to next stop? (That will be Mt. St. Michel after spending four days in Loire and maybe arriving at the Mont just after the tourists leave, IF, there is not much to see in Angers.) Thank you to anyone who can comment.

Hi Debbie, <BR>I was in Angers this June to see the Chateau, the Apocolypse Tapestries, the Logis Royal, the Ducal Oratory, the Chatelet, and the moat gardens. It is a great place to visit, the tapestries are awsome. Make sure to take a walk along the ramparts of the castle. You'll only need to spend half a day in Angers since the Chateau is the only thing in town of major interest. I would recommend that you head out to St Michel, and consider stopping by the beautiful Chateau du Plessis-Bourre. This chateau is just north of Angers on route D107. It lies in a moat so wide that it looks more like a lake, and it is one of the least altered chateaus in the Loire valley.

Bill Fleites, thanks for your comment. Funny, I just answered your posting about all the scaffolding on Notre Dame and then check my 1 response which was you! Re: Chateau du Plessis Bourre my husband and I were scheduled to stay there last year but our trip was cancelled to this year where now it is too far west to sleep there, Saumur is where we will rest the night. Bill, did you view the chateau from outside as it is privately owned? Or, do the owners give a tour? Very curious and thank you for your reply.

Debbie, I saw your reply about Notre Dame. Hard to believe the facade has been covered for 5 years. This must have dissapointed many a tourist over the years. Saumur is a beautiful little town, and the chateau is visible from just about everywhere because it's up on the only hill in town. It is a spectacular site as you drive into town when crossing the bridge over the Loire river. Saumur was my home base for the western Loire valley part of my trip. I stayed at the hotel St Pierre and can highly recommend it. The chateau itself is open, but the only way to see the interior is to take a guided tour. The tour was OK but not great. A large part of the inside of the chateau has been converted into a sort of museum of the horse, and it has many horse skeletons and fossils tracing the evolution of the horse. It also has a lot of saddles, riding gear, swords, firearms, and other assorted weapons. You can also go down into the basement dungeon part of the chateau. I skipped this just because it seemed a bit creepy to me. The best part of paying to go inside is just to see the entrance, and interior courtyard of the chateau up close. Have fun in France.

Oops! Forgot about the Chateau du Plessis Bourre. Yes it is privately owned, and when I got there the gates were closed. I almost left after having just looked at the chateau from the outside. But just as I was leaving, a person came to the gate from inside to let me in. After you pay, you cross the draw-bridge over the moat to go inside the chateau. The interior is very nicely decorated with Renaissance furnishings and tapestries. They do no let you take your camera inside the chateau, but they do let you take pictures of the outside. There was no guided tour, just a one page leaflet in English describing the chateau and it’s rooms. Overall, it is worth to pay and look at this beautiful chateau close up, and see the beautifully decorated rooms in it.

Just got home from 10 days in France (4 in Loire). We stayed more to the east but did do some driving one day near Angers. If your traveling along the south bank of the river between Saumer and Angers do stop in Cunault to view the church (Notre Dame). It seemed to be the only thing to view in the town but it was quite lovely. The church is not beautifully restored as some are, but the architecture and carvings are wonderful and the place feels old. I could feel centuries of history here, not true at all "old" places.

AMY- Thanks for this TIP! We will be driving east to west and will be passing by Cunault! Without you replying I never would have known about this church.