Château d’Angers and the Apocalypse Tapestry

Slate glints on the seventeen towers as the Loire’s soft grey light settles over Anjou. Inside the Château d’Angers, the Apocalypse Tapestry — woven c. 1375–1382 for Louis I of Anjou — spans 104 preserved meters, displayed under low lighting that makes the narrative panels easy to read. Look closely: some ultramarine blues, once pricier than gold, still hold their depth. A short walk away, Saint-Maurice Cathedral shows the domed vaults of Anjou Gothic, and the timbered Maison d’Adam (15th century) tells of the city’s wood and textile trades.

Here’s how it flows: hotel pickup in Angers, your Mercedes with driver on standby, then a 10-minute ride from Place du Ralliement to the fortress. You tour while the driver waits, with seamless hops between the castle, the cathedral (about 600 m), and Maison d’Adam (another 150 m), plus a riverside pause on Quai Ligny for a cremet d’Anjou or a Cointreau Fizz. No parking puzzle, no bus timetables — just more time for tapestries and carved capitals.