The castle at Angers looms up on approach, long before you reach the town. It has seventeen bastion towers and massive outer and inner defence walls, though now there are gardens in the moat and a herd of fallow deer. Many works of art and a unique collection of tapestries are displayed there. The town has many fine old buildings dating from the 15th century with timbered and carved overhanging storeys, which shade the narrow streets from the sun, and shops, markets and a good choice of restaurants.

Nearby there are several châteaux to visit, such as Le Plessis-Macé, Bois-Mautboucher, Percher and Magnanne. Serrant, to the west on the N23 has one of the loveliest château in the Loire. South of Angers are several places like Gennes, Rochfort-sur-Loire and Chemillé, where you can taste some of the wines.

This is traditionally great horse country and Saumur is home of the famous Cadre Noir riding school founded by Louis XV. The Musée de la Cavalerie there, traces the history of the cavalry and you can often watch the riders and horses in training for one of their spectacular displays of riding skills. Saumer also has a château with towers at each corner, bell turrets and ornate gable windows that gives it a special charm.

St-Hilaire-St-Florent, just outside Saumur is one of the best places to taste Saumur wines (best with lunch) and there is also a quirky museum there, devoted to wild mushrooms. The national riding school is next door to it.

Rochmenier has an underground country museum showing how the troglodytes (cave dwellers) lived until quite recently. Fontevraud l'Abbaye is an 11th century monastery with five separate parts - for monks, nuns, lepers and the infirm and, for repentant women. It also houses the bones of both English and French kings.