Angers — Château and Tapisserie de l'Apocalypse

Angers lies 90 km east of Nantes along the Maine river in Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, making it one of the most comfortable day trips from the city: the TER train from Nantes Gare Saint-Jean reaches Angers Saint-Laud station in around 40 minutes, with roughly hourly departures from €8 each way. The château that dominates the city centre is one of the most formidable medieval fortresses in France — a massive 13th-century structure built by Louis IX with 17 dark-schist towers and a moat now planted with decorative gardens. Its most important treasure is the Tapisserie de l'Apocalypse, a 14th-century woven cycle commissioned by Louis I of Anjou depicting scenes from the Book of Revelation across nearly 100 metres of preserved panels — the largest surviving medieval tapestry in the world. Entry to the château and tapestry gallery costs €13 for adults; purchasing online in advance is strongly advisable during summer months. A full morning at the château and tapestry gallery leads naturally to the adjacent old city: the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice perches above the Maine with a commanding Romanesque façade, and the pedestrian quarter around Place du Rallye offers half-timbered houses and good lunch options. Angers is also the home of Cointreau liqueur, and the Distillerie Cointreau offers guided tours and tastings about 4 km from the city centre, reachable by the city tramway. In the afternoon, the Musée des Beaux-Arts on Rue du Musée holds a strong collection from the medieval period through the 20th century. The tramway running from the train station serves most key sites, making the city easy to navigate without further transport arrangements.