Gallo-Romains

Maine et Loire – Anjou  (department 49)

Capital Angers.

Mayenne-et-Loire was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791. It was created from part of the former province of Anjou. Its present name is drawn from the former province of Maine and the Loire River, which runs through it.
 
This area has many navigable rivers such as the Loire (longest river in France), Mayenne, Sarthe, and the Loir (193 miles long), and has a varied landscape, with forested ranges of hills in the south and north separated by the valley of the Loire. It has Amazing castles, stately homes, extravagant buildings; the old province has an incredible 1200 of them for you to see!

A permanent backdrop of towers, steeples and ramparts that make even the smallest village you come across interesting. Prehistoric, Greek, Egyptian, Roman, medieval and oriental - archaeology reveals all in Anjou.
 

The West of France provides arguably some of the most attractive river cruising anywhere in Europe. These waterways are isolated from the rest of France and it is this isolation that has allowed them to keep their distinct individual nature.

The hidden charms of Anjou can be discovered by cruising along its gently flowing rivers, through a rolling countryside dotted with famous chateaux, abbeys, and manor houses. Visit the famous city of Angers with its cathedral and magnificent fortress of seventeen towers. Just north of the city, the rivers Mayenne and Sarthe join to form the Maine, in the heart of the Loire country.

The Mayenne is a delightful river to cruise, with only 25 locks as it meanders through unspoiled countryside past the ancient castle of Laval to the feudal citadel of Mayenne. Through to Chateau-Gontier.

There are some 8500 km/5000+ miles-waterways for pleasure sailing in France and thus France has the first river network in Europe.

Chateau De Serrant

Chateau De Pignerolle

Chateau De Montgeoffroy

Saumur

Some Chateaux throughout Anjou

Chateau de Bauge - Bauge           

Chateau de Challain La Potherie -Challain-la-Potherie

Haras National de Lion d'Angers - Le Lion-d'Angers

Chateau de Plessis-Bourre - Ecuille

Chateau de Serrant - Saint-Georges-sur-Loire

Chateau de Brissac - Brissac-Quince

Chateau de Touvois - Maulevrier

Chateau de Breze - Breze

Chateau de Montsoreau - Montsoreau

Chateau de Montgeoffroy - Maze

Chateau d'Angers - Angers

Chateau de Pignerolle - Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou

Chateau de Breil de Foin - Chigne

Chateau de Durtal - Durtal

Among the departments in France, Maine-et-Loire ranks fifth in farming, and also boasts some 49,421 acres (20,000 ha) of vineyards — which produce 27 different A.O.C. wines.

Annually, about 2.3 million tourists visit this region, drawn by the many castles, abbeys, parks, and the fascinating troglodyte caves — whose thousands of tunnels now host wine cellars, museums and art galleries.
The white and red wines of Anjou and Saumur are of infinite variety.

The white wines may be dry or sweet. There are also fruity rosés, both dry and sweet, produced mainly from the Cabernet grape which has given its name to Cabernet d'Anjou and Cabernet de Saumur.

Among the whites, Coteaux de Saumur are lighter and drier and preserve their quality well, Coteaux du Layon and Coteaux de l'Aubance, very fine and sweet, are richer and age very well.

A large proportion of the production from the Saumur region is made by the Champagne method.

Arboretum Gaston Allard - Angers
 
The Arboretum Park, created between 1863 and 1918 by Gaston Allard, has a rich dendrological collection with approximately 1,500 classes and 4,300 specimens. The Park has been extended with four new gardens differentiated by the botanical varieties on show.
 

Parc Maupassant de Bois Savary - Allonnes
 
The grounds of the chateau de la Thibaudière, located at the entry to Allonnes on the D10, was completed in 2003. It was named the parc Maupassant de Bois Savary, in memory of former owners. The current owners, passionate about 17th and 18th century gardens, have done everything to give a new dimension to the site. This estate offers a beautiful walk in the heart of nature to discover water features, old stone, a rose garden and an exceptional collection of peonies.