Go West: Angers and Poitiers

Join us on this edition to discover two cities in western France steeped in history and which also have a vibrant student and cultural life. Among the surprise attractions: great theme parks, Futuroscope and Terra Botanica. Rendez-Vous in France this time heads west to explore Angers and Poitiers.

Jean-Louis Brisson, a tour guide in Angers, recommends a first stop at the medieval castle with its 17 massive towers. “There’s nothing else like it in the Loire Valley. It’s home to the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, which is extraordinary for its size and history. It was made in the 14th century.” Other stops include the Cathedral of St. Maurice overlooking the Maine River and the old town of Outre-Maine. Another stop - Saint-Croix Square - which is known for its enormous half-timbered house, the Maison d’Adam (Adam’s House). Visitors should check out the saucy “Mister Tricouillard” statue. Other areas of interest are around the Fine Arts Museum. The museum is a must-visit as well - it is in a former seminary and has art from early Italian renaissance through to the contemporary period. Check out, too, Abbey Church, which has been converted into a museum dedicated to one of the city’s most famous sons - David d'Angers.

MAKE IT YOUR DESTINATION PORTRAIT Bernard Sabbah, travel guru

Gérard Lancereau, a town planner in Poitiers, says the city is remarkable above all for its geography and pre-historic remains, including the Gaulish “oppidum” – or fortified settlement. Poitiers also has the oldest baptistery in Europe. “Visitors can see where the first Christians were baptised,” he says. The city was the seat of the Dukes of Aquitaine and the Counts of Poitou. Eleanor of Aquitaine was a Countess of Poitiers. Another French female icon – Joan of Arc – also has connections here, as she freed the city. The Dukes’ Palace in Poitiers is known for its Salle des Pas Perdus. “Poitiers has had a tradition since the Renaissance, since the time of the writer Rabelais who studied here, of giving buildings new functions and reinvesting in them.”

Angers and Poitiers are infused with history but the population living there today is younger than the French average. Half the people in Angers, for example, are under 30. The city has 30,000 students and Poitiers is not far behind with 25,000. Poitiers, meanwhile, is now known for its Futuroscope, France’s second largest theme park. It has had than 40 million visitors. And Angers, not to be left out, has now got Terra Botanica, which opened in 2010. Jean-Louis Brisson says: “The Anjou region and Angers especially is one of France’s main areas for horticulture. King René introduced pears to our territory in the 15th century. Terra Botanica has 275,000 plants on display with a variety of activities and high-tech imaging.”

Angers and Poitiers, then, are full of paradoxes but, luckily for visitors, they do a great job of combining old and new. One of the fascinating aspects is the layout of each city. Bernard Sabbah, presenter of Rendez-Vous in France, says that hundreds of kilometres of paths are accessible on foot or by other means of transport. “It is easy to explore the beautifully-preserved natural environment around Poitiers, while from Angers you can visit the Loire Castles by bike or just enjoy the gentle pleasures of Anjou”.