Angers- the Western Gateway to the Loire Valley is Close to our Hearts

Angers will always be close to our hearts. We have spent several summers studying French here at UCO and as a result, made some lasting friendships. As we walked to our rented appartement, my husband voiced my thoughts exactly: its like coming home. We love it here!

We’ve seen all the lovely places first time visitors enjoy such as the château, gardens and museums and continue to enjoy the museums and gardens even today. Find a collection of these sites on this page.

We spent almost four days here on this trip, catching up with friends, many of whom feel like family now. As always, the frequent walks to the Arboretum were a delight to the senses.

Exploring the market is one of my favorite activities

Early morning of our first day found us taking a short walk to the marché on Place Lafayette. We were in search breakfast and  tasty delights for upcoming breakfasts. Arriving at opening hour, we pretty much had the market to ourselves.

Mmmmm….melon for breakfast!

My favorite treat: croissant aux amandes

One of several trips to the arboretum

After a leisurely lunch with friends, we wandered over to the Arboretum. I will never cease to be jealous that our friend lives within walking distance of this beautiful, peaceful place. The gardens were a riot of color and I loved how the colors were grouped.

A long awaited museum visit

Can you imagine our delight to discover the Musée Pincé open for visits after 15 years of renovation! The first floor is a permanent exhibit dedicated to ancient Greece and Rome, the Egyptians, Pre-Colombian art, and Chinese and Japanese art. The ground floor is a rotating exhibit.

The museums found in Angers is just one of many reasons Angers is close to our hearts.

I enjoyed the exhibits but it was the architecture of the building that I really wanted to see. The ceilings are low enough to give you a close up view of the details which is rarely the case in these historic buildings. This building is of the Renaissance era.