See Angers by Bike in a Day

The Tourist Office is the starting point for any successful day out in Angers. Head to 7 Place du Président Kennedy for plenty of tips and great ideas. With your Angers City Pass in pocket with its amazing array of great deals and bikes to rent from the Bike Concierge, you will be ready to explore Angers by bike!

Into second gear and off you go. You’ll soon reach the David d’Angers gallery, an annex of the Fine Arts museum. Goethe, Chateaubriand and Georges Washington await you there, or at least their busts do, along with sculptures of other famous people by the French sculptor David d’Angers. Look up high and admire the glass roof and light shaft, stroll amongst impressive sculptures and take in the thousands of little details of each work. A relatively short visit that both art connoisseurs and the simply curious will love.

And more colour awaits you on this bike tour of the city, like at the Maison Bleue that you will pass by on Boulevard Foch. The building isn’t open to visitors, however its eight-storey façade displays a vast and intricate blue mosaic. Enamels and blue ceramic tiles appear side by side in a distinctively Art Deco composition by Isidore Odorico, a master of the genre.

The Jardin du Mail gardens make a well-deserved stop, a few metres on. You can’t fail to love the park’s bandstand, the curvy Vénus d’Arles statue (a replica of the original which is in Paris) or the explosion of colour offered by some 20,000 flowers in summer.

Stomach beginning to rumble? Point your handlebars in the direction of the city centre to find a spot in Place du Ralliement, the beating heart of Angers. With its many cafés, bars and restaurants, there is sure to be a table on a terrace for you. Here you will be able to admire the façade of the Grand Théâtre while savouring your first ever gouline. This emblematic local delicacy takes the form of a pie stuffed with pork belly pieces (known as rillauds in French), mushrooms from Saumur, melted shallots, and a sauce made from local Tomme cheese to top it all off. Sounds delicious doesn’t it? Bon appétit!

The Maison d’Adam, a few strides from here on Place Sainte-Croix, is a short detour not to be missed. This half-timbered house is a listed historical building and a novel unto itself. You can’t go inside, but make sure you take time to observe the façade where you’ll spot some surprising stone carvings!

From Place Sainte-Croix, make your way to the entrance of Angers Cathedral overlooking the hill of Saint-Maurice. There is a superb view of the Maine, the Pont de Verdun and the peaceful Doutre district. Take a look inside the cathedral itself, which is a gem of Angevin Gothic-style art. Medieval stained glass, a majestic organ and pointed “ogival” arches form a fascinating architectural dialogue.

Continue your visit of the historic centre and the city’s star monument – Angers Castle (expect a few cobbles on your way). Once at the fortress, leave your bike for a moment and soak up the 6,000 years of history standing before you. Take a tour and learn about the illustrious inhabitants of this imposing castle and their love of art and beautiful things, still evident today in the Apocalypse Tapestry commissioned by Louis I of Anjou. Measuring 100 metres long and 4.5 metres high, this invaluable masterpiece is sure to impress visitors both young and old. Since 2023, the Apocalypse Tapestry is inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register.

After seeing all of this Medieval cartoon, conclude your royal visit with a nice green stroll in the castle gardens and a walk along the Jean-Turc promenade.

Cross the Maine now towards another of Angers’ most visited sites – the Jean Lurçat and Contemporary Tapestry Museum. The museum houses two separate collections: one classic one in the Hôpital Saint-Jean building including Jean Lurcat’s Chant du Monde, and the other more contemporary, featuring textile creations from the 1930s to today. It’s a feast for the eyes.