Angers is a city of almost 400,000 people in its metropolitan area and is located in the district of the same name in the North-Western area of France. Angers is an extremely old city, having been first mentioned almost two millennia ago, not significantly long after the rule of Augustus. As such, it is an architectural marvel having innumerable castles and ancient buildings. Yet, it has modern conveniences and amenities such as nightclubs, trams and a well-paved downtown area.
From Angers train station, you can car hire to see many of the sights, including:
- Museums - For a city that is relatively small in population, it has an incredible number of museums. Some of them are The Jean Lurcat Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts (Beaux Arts), The Pince Museum, The David d’Angers Gallery and The Regional Angers Marce Air Museum
- Castles and ancient buildings - I could write several articles on such marvels. Assuming that you have a car hire, you will still want to get out and walk around. One such castle has a magnificent display of an artwork called the Apocalypse Tapestry, the largest medieval tapestry in the world at 140 meters (153.1 yards) in length. It was commissioned by Louis I of Naples more than 600 years ago.
- The Grand Theater - This theater, primarily an opera house, is itself a very old building. It was originally built in 1791, destroyed by fire in 1853 and then rebuilt in 1871. It now can seat 730 theater-goers.
As a frequent traveller, I appreciate several things, including good infrastructure (especially in terms of transportation), a rich cultural history, and knowledgeable inhabitants who can converse in English. Angers has all of these. Of course, you have many car hire options. This is especially desirable if you go the nearby cities of Nantes and Le Mans (known for its auto races), or even to Paris, which is not significantly far. In addition, you can take a tram, taxi or a public bus. Moreover, because it is relatively small (in terms of population and geography, you can walk and still see many of the sights.
The rich cultural history has already been mentioned, and imbues the entire city. You can also drive your car hire to the Rue de l’Espine tea shop where you can drink tea and eat scones. The owner speaks English. Be sure to tell him that I recommended you visit.
