Angers sits beside the Maine river in the western part of the Loire Valley. It’s a delightful city,  relatively unknown, perfect for a short break and just the place to relax. Much of its charm (and the feeling of wellbeing it gives you) comes from its status as the greenest city of France. 

Taking a short Break in Angers

We arrived late afternoon after a trip through Normandy and checked in to the Oceania Hôtel d’Anjou. (See details below). Our room looked out onto the Jardin du Mail, the Hôtel de Ville then over the hills and far away. The fountains in the park were motionless and silent, shut down in the blistering July heatwave.

It was a 4-minute walk from the hotel over the burnt grass to Le Mail restaurant where soft lights glowed and cocktails were being shaken and stirred. The place was buzzing with locals savouring plates of fluffy light Mimosa eggs, duck paté with foie gras, kimchi sauce, pimento oil and honey followed by the likes of confit of duck, Iberian pork and plenty of fish dishes. As we ate on the terrace, the light slowly faded and all was well with the world. (See Le Mail restaurant details below.)

A Little History

If you’re allergic to history then skip this and go straight to What to Do and See in Angers. But this short history will, I hope, give some idea of the historic glory of Angers.

Plantagenet Power and Glory

It was those mighty Plantagenets who turned Angers into a powerhouse. In the 12^th century, Geoffroi of Anjou married Matilda in Le Mans. Matilda was the daughter of Henry I of England, granddaughter of William the Conqueror and heiress to the throne of England. It was quite a match for Goeffroi. At its height, the Plantagenet Empire stretched from England and Scotland down to Spain. To the east it bordered Flanders, Champagne, Burgundy, Savoy and the Toulouse region. The family held the English throne until 1485, when Richard III died in battle and the Tudors took over.

Angers was important, but it was nearby Le Mans which was the capital of the great and powerful Plantagenet Empire. Even today Le Mans has a large beautifully preserved medieval quarter. Here’s more about Plantagenet Le Mans.

What to see and do in Angers

My partner and I went to Angers with very different interests. Alastair McKenzie runs Mechtraveller, a website for the mechanically minded (battles, planes, tanks, military museums and the like), while I can spend hours in museums and cathedrals tracing the figures of the past and looking at art – ancient and modern.

Angers provided attractions for both of us. As always there were places we would not have chosen but found fascinating. For Alastair it was the Tapestry of the Apocalypse; I was bowled over by the Museum of Military Engineers.

But I will start with my top picks.

Top Attractions in Angers

Château d’Angers

You can’t miss the massive fortress with its 17 huge round towers that punctuate the surrounding black-and-white slate and limestone walls. This royal fortress overlooking the River Maine takes you back to the city’s Neolithic beginnings from 4000 to 2500 BC, then to the Romans, great admirers of the good life with their heated bathrooms, fireplaces and wastewater drains. In the 9^th century, the Counts of Anjou, threatened by the Normans, settled here, (and used the Roman’s heating system). More buildings were added in the ensuing centuries, impressive and comfortable for the nobles who lived here. The most recent addition is the modern building housing the extraordinary Tapestry of the Apocalypse.

Tour the Château d’Angers

Like so many medieval châteaux, walk through the drawbridge and you’re in a charming landscape of small formal gardens, a vineyard, and impressive buildings. You get an idea of life in the 15^th century in the central royal residence where the stone-walled rooms are small, heated by huge fireplaces. The chapel, built around 1410, is a sainte chapelle, containing a splinter of the True Cross. It’s larger than many, with Angevin vaulting and remarkable traces of frescoes on the walls. The Kings, Queens and Counts might have been religious, but the practicalities had to be considered: the private oratory is heated by its own fireplace.

Climb the steps to the ramparts and walk along the walls for a superb view of Angers and an understanding of why the Counts of Anjou felt safe in this impregnable castle.

Traces of the past are everywhere with some of the most poignant appearing in the graffiti of prisoners who were incarcerated here from the time of Louis XIV to Napoleon III. Their names, dates and messages might be carved on the walls, but what happened to these sad souls remains unknown.

The Tapestry of the Apocalypse

A specially constructed gallery houses the extraordinary Tapestry of the Apocalypse. It’s a world-class attraction but is relatively unknown to foreign visitors to France.

Woven in Paris between 1373 and 1382 for Louis I of Anjou, the Tapestry of the Apocalypse illustrates Revelations, the last chapter of the New Testament of St. John.

It’s dark as you walk in and it takes a moment or two for your eyes to adjust and your mind to take in the series of images of the end of the world. Mythical beasts, dragons, demons, angels and gallant knights, the horsemen of the Apocalypse and fortified towns tell a host of  stories. To the medieval mind these images and tales would have been terrifying but they would have understood the politics behind them. France was in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War with England and had also suffered huge mortality rates from the Black Death that entered France from Italy through the port of Marseille.

Take a guided tour or the audio guide to get some of the tales and clues, and for the truly dedicated I would advise a dip into the Book of Revelations beforehand.

The largest surviving set of medieval tapestries in the world at 103 metres long it was listed by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Register in May 2023.

Read the full story of the Tapestry of the Apocalypse here.

The Museum of Fine Arts/Musée des Beaux-Arts

The rich collection is housed in the mansion of one Olivier Barrault, Viscount of Mortain, mayor of Angers and treasurer of the Brittany region, built between 1486 and 1493. Today it has two sections: the History of Angers and Fine Arts.

The History of Angers

The history of Angers is an amazing hotch-potch of activities and stories, as so many city museums are. From the first traces of people in Angers in the Neolithic age to today, it covers all aspects of the city, some of which you’ll experience as you walk through this easy-to-navigate town.

In the museum I saw stand-out objects like the mosaic floor from a Roman villa; intricate jewellery; 9^th-century glass; beautiful cherry brandy and liqueur bottles…in fact something to interest everyone. Paintings and plans show the economic life of the city since the 12^th century: its great fairs, its commerce and trade. There’s a fascinating section dealing with the horticulture of Angers covering the birth of different fruits, and the gardens and orchards that go back centuries. Today Angers is the leading European centre for horticultural research.

The Fine Art Collection

The second section covers fine art from the 14th to the 21st Century. It’s a rich collection including those old Flemish master which I personally love, magnificent Greek ornaments and a whole lot more.

And there are some intriguing items.  My attention was caught by the Autel de la Patrie. This Altar of the Fatherland was carved out of oak in 1798 by Pierre-Louis David, a staunch Republican who fought against the Royalist supporters in the Vendée during the French Revolution. It was placed in the cathedral in Angers (officially renamed the Temple of Reason) celebrating the new cult of the Supreme Being. This civic festival was instituted by the French Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre to replace Roman Catholicism and the rival atheist Cult of Reason. Even the most revolutionary must have a faith of some kind as a reason for life.

Galerie David d’Angers

From the windows of the Fine Arts Museum, you can see a church, its roof now replaced by a huge glass structure. Apart from the garden, it is the only part left of the once rich and powerful Abbaye Toussaint d’Angers. Today it houses the Galerie David d’Angers, one of the most important sculptors of the first half of the 19^th century. It’s dedicated to the statues of Pierre-Jean David d’Angers (1788-1856), the son of the Pierre-Louis David who carved the Altar of the Fatherland.

David was a prolific sculptor, producing monumental works of figures from Gutenberg to the Royalist Marquis de Bonchamps, who surprisingly pardoned the Republican prisoners (including David d’Angers’ father).

This excellent gallery has an upstairs viewing platform so for once you can look down on the sculptures rather than looking up at them.

Cathédrale Saint-Maurice d’Angers

Walk up from the river for an impressive view of the cathedral. Built between the 11^th and 13^th centuries in Angevin Gothic style, its vaulted ceilings soar above you; the medieval stained glass windows cast coloured patterns on the stone floor. If you can, go to a concert or listen every Monday and Thursday as the stops are tested on this sweet sounding organ, installed in 1617.

A false front has been installed in front of the main door; some Angers inhabitants love it; others hate it. Make up your own mind about it.

Walk the Old Town of La Cité

Cobbled streets with half-timbered house cluster in the medieval area around the Château, known as La Cité. Just wander through them, but don’t miss the extraordinary figures carved on Maison d’Adam on Place Saint-Croix. Cross the river on the Pont de Verdun to walk along Rue Beaurepaire past the home of apothecary Simon Poisson. Four allegorical figures were carved on the façade representing friendship, generosity, science and magnificence.

Museum of Jean-Lurçat and Contemporary Tapestry

Take the tram over the river to this extraordinary museum. It’s housed in the former 12th century St. John’s Hospital in the Great Hall for the Sick where the magnificent Gothic architecture provides the best setting for the dramatic tapestry, Le Chant du Monde (The Song of the World) tapestry by Jean Lurçat (1892-1966).

Jean Lurçat was born in the 19^th century, learning art along with the likes of  Matisse, Cézanne and Renoir. He began designing tapestries in 1917 and by the 1930s was an internationally acclaimed figure. In 1937 the sight of the Apocalypse Tapestry brought the superb art of tapestry making to his attention. Two years later he moved to the traditional city of tapestry, Aubusson, to help revive an art which had fallen out of favour and fashion.

The nuclear threat which he witnessed in World War II with the bombing of Hiroshima had a profound effect on him, inspiring the design for The Song of the World. This 80 metre-long, 10-panelled tapestry starts with the fear and horrors of nuclear warfare, then continues with renewal and hope at the end, echoing the story of the Tapestry of the Apocalypse. It was woven in Aubusson between 1957 and 1966 during the Cold War, but Jean Lurçat died before it was finished.

The museum’s contemporary tapestry section has around sixty works, telling the story of this particular art form from the 1950s to today.

The Le Chant du Mond tapestry is on loan to the Aubusson Museum until the end of 2026 when it will return to Angers. In the meantime you’ll see the Tolkien-inspired tapestries here.

Musée du Génie/Museum of Military Engineering

Alastair’s choice of the museum of Military Engineering was a surprise. It belongs to the army and is located outside the centre. It’s not particularly well signposted as a museum and there’s no public parking in the museum grounds; you take potluck in the side streets.

So first impressions are not ideal. But I left as a firm fan. For a start it has something I have not seen before – a timeline that stretches around the top of the walls as you make your way through the different sections, placing world events in context from BC to 2013.

In 800 Charlemagne was crowned; in the same year the Angkor kingdom was established. In 1485 Gutenberg invented the mechanical movable-type printing press; in 1492 Columbus crossed the Atlantic.  In 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic and Albert Calmette discovered a vaccine against TB. We learn about world-changing events in a vacuum; this timeline gives you a different perspective. The randomness of the timeline events makes the world a smaller but more intriguing place.

It’s so intriguing that we almost missed some of the exhibits and people associated with the army…like Vauban (1633-1707) ‘the father of military engineering’. Visitors to France find it difficult to miss one of Vauban’s forts; they were built throughout the country. But did you know that Vauban’s insistence that sappers wear a cuirass and a pot-en-tête (military helmet) led to the decoration on the buttons that sappers have worn for 250 years? And look at the cuirass on display here and you see a ‘hole’. Before a soldier wore the armour for the first time, a musket bullet was fired into the breastplate from the front as a test.

The displays and uniformed figures are conventional, but explore the history behind them…like the reference to the engineers at Bir Hakeim where the First Free French Foreign Legion Division blocked General Rommel’s troops for16 days from May 26 to June 11, 1942. The purpose of the defence? To allow the British troops at Tobruk to escape. The Free French force, made up of French Marines, Foreign Legionnaires, and soldiers from French African colonies such as Senegal, Madagascar under Brigadier General Marie-Pierre Koenig, numbered around 3,700 men; the Axis force of Germans and Italians facing them numbered around 32,000 to 35,000.

After visiting the museum I did some research on Bir Hakeim where French military engineers had spent three months creating field fortifications and mining the ground, building 1,200 entrenchments, foxholes, gun emplacements and underground bunkers. It was an incredible defence with a daredevil end to it as the French troops escaped in armoured cars and ambulances. General Koenig was driven to safety by Susan Travers, an English ambulance driver and the only woman at Bir Hakeim. “It is a delightful feeling, going as fast as you can in the dark,” she later remembered. “My main concern was that the engine would stall.” 

The major battle that appears in the first part of the film De Gaulle (La Bataille de Gaulle). I urge you to see the film; it’s brilliant and depicts de Gaulle and the Free French in a totally new light. And it gives you a new respect for the military engineers. As Rommel said of the battle: “seldom in Africa was I given such a hard fought struggle.” 

There’s more in the museum: the Diplodocus, or track-laying crane; the Bailey bridge; mine clearing and more. This small museum is well worth a visit and I hope that, like me, it will encourage you to delve deeper into the world of the military engineer.

Where to Stay in Anjou

We stayed in the 4-star hotel and spa Oceania Hôtel d’Anjou. Spacious, comfortable bedrooms are decorated in dark chocolate and blue colours; bathrooms with white marble walls are well equipped; there’s a small spa and a handsome Art Deco bar where breakfast is served. The hotel is located above the main city, within easy walking or tram distance of all the major attractions. It has an underground garage, but if you’re planning on using it, get precise directions as to where it is. It’s difficult to locate!

Most of the main hotel groups have properties in Angers. It’s a big convention city with plenty of accommodation in all price ranges. Here’s my guide to budget hotel chains in France.

Where to Eat in Angers

Our favourite was Le Mail (see above for a description). The cooking is excellent and very good value.

Try a Guinguette

We had a very good lunch at the delightful guinguette (riverside café/bar/restaurant) Le Port de l’Ile. Drive for around 10 minutes from central Angers, park in the public car park, then board the ferry to cross the small river. The energetic can work up an appetite by pulling the cable that propels the ferry. Sit on the terrace, consuming the likes of a planche of charcuterie and cheeses or rillettes then burgers with some of the best chips around. The restaurant has a full menu at lunch; in the evenings there’s a choice of tapas and planches. It’s a remarkably peaceful, friendly local place.

Here’s a list of guinguettes of all kinds along the river in Angers.

Practical Information

Getting Around Angers

By Tram
The Angers tramway has 3 main lines (A, B and C).
Line A crosses Angers from northeast to southwest, linking the Monplaisir and La Roseraie districts.
Lines B & C links the main economic, university and main attractions.

By Bus
The Irigo network, which manages public transport in Angers, operates a comprehensive service linking not only the city, but also the surrounding communes. With nearly 30 regular routes, you can easily access tourist sites, business parks or simply get around the city. For night owls, the network offers night buses, perfect for returning home after a night on the town.

Tickets
Angers Tourist Office sells 24-hour tickets and 10-journey tickets valid on the entire Irigo bus and tram network.

More information on Getting around Angers

By Bicycle
Angers Loire Métropole offers a network of cycle paths.

Angers City Pass
If you’re spending any time in Angers, the best value for attractions is the Angers City Pass. Choose from 24 hours (3 sites 19/21 euros low season/high season), 48 hours (4 sites 26/29), 72 hours (6 sites 35/42). It also gives you a 2e ticket for 24hour bus and tram journeys instead of 4.60. Buy it at the Tourist Office.

Angers Tourist Office
7 Pl. du Président Kennedy
49100 Angers
Tel: +33 (0)2 41 23 50 00
Website

Getting to Angers

We travelled to Angers taking Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen. From there it was a 250km/155mile, 2 hours 25 min drive on a toll autoroute to Angers.
Ferries to France from the UK

By TGV Train
TGV train services are very frequent, departing from or stopping off at Angers Saint-Laud SNCF station.
Here are the main destinations and train journey times:

35 minutes from Nantes
52 minutes from Tours (Saint-Pierre-des-Corps train station)
less than 90 minutes from Paris-Montparnasse
2h20 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (direct TGV)
4h from Lyon
3h30 from Lille
4h from Bordeaux
4h10 from Brussels (Thalys / TGV)

By Car
If you’re travelling by car, Angers can be reached via the A11, A85 and A87 autoroutes (tolls). Here are the journey times by car from the major towns around Angers:

Nantes-Angers: 90 kms/1 hour
Tours-Angers: 130 kms/1 hour 15 mins1h15
Rennes-Angers: 128 kms/1h45
Paris-Angers: 296kms/3 hours
Bordeaux-Angers: 396 kms/4 hours

By Air
To get to Angers by plane from London, you should fly into Nantes – Atlantique Airport (NTE),  the closest major airport with regular direct flights. From Nantes-Atlantique to Angers takes around 1 hour by taxi (98kms/61 miles). To go by train you have to catch a bus from the airport to Gare Sud, then a regular train. Or by coach take a BlaBlaBusCoach or Flixbus taking around 1 hour 50 mins.

From London
Ryanair and easyJet offer direct flights from London airports (like Gatwick and Stansted) to Nantes. Flight Time: Around 1 hour and 25 minutes.

From Paris
Air France is the best major airline from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Nantes with a good range of fares and times. Flight Time: 1 hr 10 mins.

By Bicycle!

Yes, you can get to Angers by bicycle on the famous Loire à Vélo cycle trail which goes from Nevers to Saint Nazaire. It takes in Angers, between Saumur and Nantes.

Here’s my article on the whole trip from source to sea; where to stay, eat and more. Loire Valley Cycle Route.

More about the Region’s Cities and Attractions

Le Mans Guide – A Tale of Two Cities
24 Hours of Le Mans – The Race and The Museum

Tour the Secret Loir Valley

Regions of France

The post Guide to Glorious Angers in the Loire Valley appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Tapestry of the Apocalypse, housed in the formidable Château d’Angers in Angers, tells the extraordinary and powerful story of the Second Coming of Christ, his victory over evil, and the end of the world. It is without doubt one of the most impressive tapestries in the world, matching the famous Bayeux Tapestry in Normandy.

View the Tapestry

Walk into the large, semi circular room and wait a minute to let your eyes adjust to take in the two rows of images that stretch into the distance.
The story is divided into six ‘chapters’ which follow the last chapter of the New Testament of St. John about the Apocalypse. Each of these chapters depicts a figure seated on a dais reading the ‘Revelations’ that you see in the scenes which follow.
The tapestry is firmly anchored in the 14^th century when it was woven with references to the life of the time, and to the English – the dreaded enemy of France during the 100 Years War which took place intermittantly between 1337 and 1453.

We might today need some help with the scenes and their significance (check out the audio guide) but to the 14^th century mind, the allusions were obvious. Look at the scene where the dragon (France) acknowledges the supremacy of the monster (England) and offers a sceptre with the French fleur-de-lys, the symbol of France, at the top. The scene comes from Revelations 12:1-2:

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with 10 horns and seven heads, with 10 diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it, the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.” 

Good versus evil; France versus England.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Look at the panels showing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and you’re witnessing contemporary 14^th-century France. The Black Horse refers to the famine that devastated communities suffering from the scorched-earth tactics the English army used as they made their way through France. The Pale Horse represents death, the mass casualties of the war and the black death that was ravaging France and the rest of Europe.

The Weaving of the Tapestry

The tapestry was woven in Paris between 1377 and 1382 for Louis I of Anjou. It was designed by Hennequin de Bruges (also known as Jean Bondol) who took the images from an illuminated manuscript belonging to the French King Charles V, the Duke of Anjou’s brother. Two master weavers, Nicolas Bataille and Robert Poincon, oversaw the production which involved around 35 French and Belgian weavers and took over seven years.

The Tapestry Survives

The Tapestry originally measured 133 meters (436 feet) long and six meters (20 feet) high and was displayed in Angers cathedral on special days. In the 1790s, the French Revolutionaries took the tapestry and proceeded to cut it up, using it for floor mats, protection for orange trees and filling holes in buildings.

It’s a miracle that ithis spectacular Tapestry of the Apocalypse has survived. It was all due to one Louis-François Joubert, custodian of the Cathedral of Angers’ treasures who painstakingly searched out the separate panels and had them restored between 1843 and 1870. 16 were never recovered and were probably destroyed. But today it still measures 103 metres long and 4.5 metres high.

UNESCO

In May 2023 the Tapestry was included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register, joining other French inclusions like the films of the Lumière brothers and the Bayeux Tapestry. It constitutes the world’s largest and oldest surviving set of medieval tapestries, a woven depiction of the illuminated Anglo Norman manuscripts.

Practical Information

Château d’Angers
2 Promenade du Bout du Monde
49100 Angers
Website
Access to the ticket office is via the drawbridge of Château d’Angers

Open
May 2 to Sept 4: Daily 10am-6:30pm
Sept 5 to Apr 30: Daily 10am-5:30pm
December 24 & 31 closes at 4.30pm
Last entry 45 mins before closing time

Admission
Adult €14.00; Concessions €11; Free for under 18 years; Free with the Angers City Pass
The entry ticket gives access to the entire tour route (ramparts, courtyards, gardens, royal residence, chapel, Apocalypse gallery, interpretation trail), as well as to temporary exhibitions.

The Tapestry is in the glorious city of Angers. It’s a delightful place, perfect for a short break. Here’s my article on my stay in Angers, which was full of delightful surprises.

More Information

French Tapestry from Bayeux to Today
The Bayeux Tapestry Story

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Think of Claude Monet and you don’t immediately think of Brittany. But in mid September 1886, Monet traveled to the island of Belle-Île-en-Mer and was captivated. In one of his daily letters to Alice Hoschedé, his muse and partner since 1876, he wrote:

“It was a joy for me to see the sea in all its fury; it was like a drug, and I was so carried away that today I was devastated to see the weather calm down so quickly.”

Brittany and the Impressionists

The Impressionists had fallen in love with Brittany. Eugène Boudin, Georges Lacombe, Paul Sérusier, Maximilien Luce and others painted the country in the Crozon Peninsula and the pretty ports of Camaret and Morgat. Pont-Aven is forever associated with the later movement led by Paul Gauguin. But Belle-Île belongs to Monet.

Why Monet Chose Brittany

In 1886 Monet had collected an advance payment of 3,000 francs from his dealer and was looking for new inspiration. He had recently read Par les champs et par les grèves (Over Fields and Shores), a travel book written by Gustave Flaubert on his walking tour with his friend Maxime Du Camp through Brittany and particularly on the rugged beautiful landscape of Belle-Ile. It was finally published posthumously in 1885 and the descriptions of Brittany portrayed a landscape far removed from the gentler regions of France.
“We were in the middle of a vast moor, entirely purple with heather… All around us the horizon was bounded by great grey rocks, piled up like Druid monuments; it was silent, mournful, and superb.”

Belle-Île-en-Mer Island

Belle-Île-en-Mer to give it the official name is the largest island off the Brittany coast. It’s around 85 square kilometres and has its fair share of sandy beaches, charming villages like Le Palais and Sauzon and those dramatic cliffs and rocky shores so beloved by Monet.
Discover more about Belle-Île-en-Mer in Beautiful Islands of Brittany

Belle-Île and Monet

In September 1886 Monet set off for Belle-Île. He lodged at the small village of Kervilahouen, near a stretch of the coast known as La Mer Terrible. He had originally planned to spend a fortnight here before going on to the island of Noirmoutier in the Vendée which Renoir so loved. He stayed until the end of November.

As Monet wrote in one of his daily letters to Alice Hoschedé:

“It’s well-named. Not a tree for ten kilometers, some rocks and wonderful grottoes; it’s sinister, diabolical, but superb”

Monet was captivated by this rugged island with its dramatic landscape and black volcanic rock formations that plunged into the sea. His favourite subject was Aiguilles de Port-Coton which he painted again and again in different lights and tides, a practice which came to characterise his art.

Monet returned to Giverny with 39 works  He spent the winter completing the paintings of Brittany and in May 1887 exhibited ten canvases which were sold immediately with enthusiastic reviews. “The most significant landscape painter of modern times” enthused French novelist and art critic, Joris-Karl Huysmans.

Follow in Monet’s Footsteps

You can follow the paths that Monet took by bike or on foot with 104 kilometres of coastal paths and cycle routes to choose from.

The main cycling route covers approximately 30 kms (19 miles) beginning in Le Palais. It’s a delightful ride, taking you past landmarks like the Grand Phare lighthouse and the village of Bangor. As you cycle along the coast you understand why Monet was so inspired. Or try any of the other routes that run from just a few kilometres to longer rides, criss-crossing the island.

Walkers would do best to take the 11km (7miles) coastal trail which takes you to the places which Monet painted: the Aiguilles de Port-Coton and the Rochers du Lion.

Where to Stay in Belle-Ile

Hôtel La Désirade
This delightful hotel, made up of pink villas built around a swimming pool and set in its own park, is a perfect holiday retreat. It’s just a 20 minute walk to the beaches of Les Aiguilles, so beloved by Monet, though you might prefer to chill out here. The energetic or the curious can hire a bicycle from the hotel The restaurant has a reputation for fresh local fish.

Hôtel La Désirade
847 Le Petit Cosquet
Bangor
56360 Belle-ile-en-mer
Tel: +33 (0)2 97 31 70 70
Website
Double bedroom, from €125 to  €299 per night. Family rooms available

How to Get to Belle-Île-en-Mer

Get to Quiberon on mainland Brittany, then take a regular boat from Quiberon to Belle-Ile island.

From the UK to Quiberon

By Air: There are direct flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and other UK airports to Nantes, Rennes, and Lorient (seasonal). Drive to Quiberon: 2 hours from Nantes Atlantique Airport. 2 hours from Rennes Airport and 1 hour’s drive from Lorient (this small airport only has seasonal flights. 

By Ferry: Brittany Ferries operates to various ports. Portsmouth to St Malo then a 2.30hr drive to Quiberon; Plymouth to Roscoff and a 3-hour drive; Portsmouth to Caen and a 4-hour drive.

By Train (via Paris): Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (2h 20m), then transfer to Gare Montparnasse for a TGV (high-speed train) to Auray (3 hours). From Auray, Quiberon is about 45 minutes by taxi or local bus.

From Quiberon to Belle-Ile-en-Mer

The ferry crossing from Quiberon to Le Palais on Belle-Île is operated by BreizhGo Océane. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes, with around 55 crossings per week currently operating on this route. Book in advance for the best fares.

Belle-Île-en-Mer Tourist Office
1 Bis Place de l’Hotel de Ville
56360 Le Palais
Brittany

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Normandy Travel Guide – What to see and Do in Normandy

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The post Claude Monet and Brittany appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Herring Festivals of North France take the otherwise rather humble fish and celebrate it in great style. I love herrings and claim to know a little about them (my Finnish relatives are responsible for that). But even I have to admit that nowhere in Finland rivals North France in its herring adulation and public festivities. 

The Poisson Roi

The King Fish as the herring is called in north France is a noble beast, a staple food for our ancestors and a major factor in the prosperity of coastal towns like Yarmouth in the UK, and towns and cities along the North France coast. 

I did a little research on the noble herring and was astonished. Do you know about the hatchet, the bigeyed long fin, the Sanaga pygmy, the fierce sounding wolf, and dozens of other herring varieties?

They are fascinating, but let’s not bother with those living in seas far away; what we are dealing with here is the abundant, glorious, Atlantic herring which can be eaten raw, pickled, fermented, barbecued and smoked (kippers).  

Herrings have been a staple diet since Roman times and probably way before that. Above all, herrings are very good for you and are in no danger of being overfished.

Normandy Herring Festivals 2026

Normandy is famous for its herring festivals which take place in November each year. In fishing towns from Le Tréport, along the Alabaster coast ports of Dieppe, St-Valery-en-Caux, Fécamp and inland Lieurey, herring festivals dominate November’s food festivals. 

Tons of herrings are served up, many cooked on huge open barbecue style fires, and washed down with wine of varying degrees of quality. There’s entertainment and invariably the locals dress up in traditional costume. It’s a fabulous day (or weekend); even non devotees are in danger of being converted.

Check out the Normandy Website on Herring Festivals

Le Tréport Herring Festival: Nov 7-8, 2026
There’s plenty to enjoy at Le Tréport which officially heralds the start of the herring festival season. Sample grilled, marinated, smoked and barbecued herring with chips, buy at the fish markets and fishermen stalls, or the artisan stalls and be entertained with music as you go.

The historic fishing port is dominated by the highest chalk cliffs in Europe (106m/348 ft.) These dramatic cliffs are lit up every evening from June to September and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from October to May, making a dramatic backdrop to the town. Take the funicular railway up to the top, a delightful neighbourhood of old streets and houses, originally inhabited by the Cordiers (line fishermen). Le Tréport has one more claim to fame: it was once one of the major herring centres of Europe.

Dieppe Herring and Scallop Festival: Nov 7-8, 2026
Over 100,000 people descend on this popular port for the best known festival in Normandy, and probably the whole of France, which includes the classier scallop. During the festival the quays are buzzing and the smell of cooking herrings fills the air.

At any time of the year, stroll through Le Pollet, the former fisherman’s quarter with its old houses and small streets. Dieppe’s Saturday morning market is not to be missed; it was voted as France’s best a few years ago but that hasn’t changed. .

Lieurey Herring Festival: Nov 11, 2026
Lieurey may be inland but 10,000 visitors come here every year to celebrate a tradition that goes back to the 15th century. During the 100 Years War, merchants delivering herrings to the soldiers stopped in Lieurey during a snowstorm and sold their herrings to the villagers instead. It was a great success, so like all such happenstances, became an annual tradition. And as a bonus, Lieurey is a charming, little-known town to visit.

Saint-Valery-en-Caux Herring Festival: Nov 21-22, 2026
The town of St-Valery-en-Caux shelters under the cliffs, making it the perfect safe fishing port and seaside resort. Walk along the promenade that stretches out beside the sea for a healthy dose of ozone.

The herring festival delivers everything you expect: lots of grilled herrings and lots to drink while being serenaded by traditional, hypnotic sea shanties that rock along to a past life at sea.

Fécamp Herring and Scallop Festival: Nov 28-29, 2026
The fishing tradition here dates back to 1030 and the fair to 58 years later. In 1088, Duke Robert II, eldest son of William the Conqueror, gave the Abbey of Fécamp the right to establish an annual fair ‘that will last as long as herring fishing exists’. (Monks were always the champions of the good life.) The festival sees around 40,000 visitors who come to eat, watch filleting demonstrations, the election of the Herring Queen and enjoy entertainment running from sea shanties to family fun. It takes place on the Sadi Carnot, Jean Recher, and Grand Quai quays.

If you’re here for the festival, don’t miss a visit to Les Pêcheries Musée which takes you back to the glory days of the fishing industry when the fishing boats set out for the Iceland and Newfoundland banks to fish for cod, fishing trips that lasted for months and were sometimes fatal. If it’s cold, take a quick trip for a quick nip at Palais Bénédictine, the main distillery for the famous liqueur.

Pas de Calais Herring Festivals 2026

Boulogne-sur-Mer Herring Festival: Nov 21-22, 2026
Boulogne is France’s foremost fishing port where 320,000 tonnes of seafood are processed each year and stored in some of the largest refrigeration facilities in Europe. So it’s not surprising that the Boulogne Herring Festival is such a big deal. It takes place around the Napoleon basin, in the heart of Boulogne’s harbour. Try the noble fish – smoked, grilled, marinated or in soup. Listen to sea shanties from the local group, Vareuses Porteloises, and look at traditional floats and stands. And enjoy the culinary demonstrations.

Dunkirk Carnival: Jan-Apr 2027
The Dunkirk Carnival is a totally bonkers event, celebrating 300 years of those departures to the New World. Plan to be there on Shrove Tuesday. Why? Well to make sure you’re there to receive herrings thrown from the Town Hall balcony. Don’t worry; the smoked herrings are wrapped. But do dress up if you can so you fit in perfectly with the locals. It takes place over weekends in January to March each year.

More Information

How to get to Normandy from the UK
Normandy Travel Guide

Events in France in November

France and Food

The Food of France – An intriguing story
Discover the Regional Food of France
Surprisingly, the artist Toulouse-Lautrec was a great cook. He followed the seasons and local produce. More about this unexpected gourmet and his recipe book, the Art of Cuisine.

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Caen attracts two kinds of visitors: those who are there specifically for the D-Day Landing Beaches and all things World War II…and those who land here after the Channel crossing and leave immediately to drive furiously to whatever destination they’re making for. But a third kind is rapidly growing: those who take a short break in the splendid city of Caen.

Having written extensively on D-Day both here (see my list/links at the end bottom of the article) and been the co-author of the Bradt D-Day Landing Guide, I well understand the former.

But those who just see Caen as a jumping off port are missing out on this delightful, lively city where visitors who defy the usual practice and make it a destination stop are well rewarded.

A Little History of Caen

William and Mathilda

2027 will be an important year for Normandy – and Europe. It sees the international celebration of the birth of William the Conqueror and his life.

Caen is the perfect place to begin the story of this extraordinary man and his place in history. Two of the major buildings in Caen are associated with William the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087) and his wife Mathilda of Flanders (c. 1031-1083), so please excuse this very short history.

William was known as William the Bastard, being the illegitimate son of unmarried Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress Herleva. William’s chosen wife was the aristocratic Mathilda – granddaughter of King Robert II of France. Her reply to his declaration was pretty firm – she would not marry a bastard. The story then wanders into Mills and Boon territory. William either rode to Bruges, forced himself into her bedroom and beat her. Or he dragged her from her horse and presumably declared his undying resolve in the mud.

Apparently fascinated by such a manly response, Mathilda consented. Historians, naturally, dispute this version, but let’s not get in the way of a good story.

William and Mathilda were married in 1051 or 1052, probably in Rouen Cathedral, despite Pope Leo IX banning the union on the grounds of consanguinity – the couple were third cousins once removed. Four or five children later, Pope Nicholas II granted a dispensation after the couple agreed to found two churches as penance, the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames. It was a typical convenient solution to a thorny problem of politics.

Top Sights in Caen

Château de Caen

Begun by William the Conqueror in 1060 and later fortified by his son Henry Beauclerk in 1123, it retains enough of the old buildings to show its size and importance. Walk over the moat into the citadel and you see how difficult the castle would be to attack. Having survived centuries of strife, ironically the greatest damage done when Caen was bombed in 1944 by the Allies. Since then restoration work has brought the castle back to its former, medieval life.

Walk up to the ramparts to reveal the city below, and in the distance the Abbaye aux Hommes.

I’d advise you to start at the Exchequer, a handsome stone building from the late 11^th century. Inside it’s empty but wait for the immersive show. The doors close behind you; the vast room darkens as the lights dim and the great salon is filled with the sounds and sights of A Journey through the 1000-year history of Caen based on the 2025 commemorative year. The history of the ancient city is revealed, taking you back into the lives of long distant ancestors, through the industrial era, on to World War II and up to today.

There’s plenty to see in the extensive grounds: the Musée de Normandie takes you at a gallop through the story of the region; the Fine Arts Museum takes you on a whistle stop tour of art through the ages and you can visit the strange tower of Queen Mathilda.

If you can allow at least half a day.

Abbaye aux Hommes

The magnificent building stands to the west of Caen. Glorious flowering gardens and a long gravel path lead you to the front of this impressive site. To one side stands the Church of Saint-Etienne, one of Normandy’s greatest Romanesque buildings and a sight to behold with its wonderful mix of Romanesque seen in the three tiers in different styles and its ornate towers.

The vast interior is plain, with an 18^th-century organ standing proud at the west end. At the east end you’ll find the tomb of William the Conqueror, though after the church was sacked by the Hugenots in the 16^th century, his remains were scattered. All that remains of him is a femur, buried beneath the stone.

The main building in the complex, designed in the 18^th century, is a wonderful example of the neo-classical style. Today it’s the town hall, but it also has a good space for temporary exhibitions. Pause for a moment in the peaceful, quiet cloisters which remove the stresses of everyday life. The monks gathered daily in the Chapter Hall to listen to one (just one) of the 73 chapters of the life of St Benedict.

Abbaye aux Dames

Founded in 1062 by Queen Matilda and consecrated in June 1066, it stands about 1 mile away from the Abbaye aux Hommes at the east end of Caen. The building is a smaller but more delightful version of the Abbaye aux Hommes; the grand façade more welcoming, the cloister smaller and more intimate.

Start at the Eglise de la Trinité, mostly built in the 11^th century in Romanesque style. Queen Matilda is buried here which I find rather sad. William and Matilda were a devoted couple and if romance played a part in history, they would have been buried together. The building is a smaller but more delightful version of the Abbaye aux Hommes; the grand façade looking more welcoming, the cloister smaller and more intimate. It was occupied by Benedictine nuns until the French Revolution then followed the usual path of such buildings. It first became a barracks, then housed beggars and the homeless, became a hospital in 1823, then a hospice in 1908, and today houses the Regional Normandy Council.

A guided tour shows you the whole building, including the crypt. It’s surrounded by a large park with lovely views over Caen.

Walk the City

Caen is an easy city to walk around and the tourist office (in the Hotel d’Esceville), conveniently located south of the castle, is the place to book a guide who starts from here.

Walk down rue St Pierre, now mainly a shopping street with bland modern buildings…except for two 16th-century half-timbered buildings at 52 and 54, that are impossible to miss.

If you’re feeling energetic and have time, take a left down rue Paul-Doumer to the Place de la Republique, laid out as a public garden. Then walk past the 17^th-Century Notre Dame de la Gloriette to Place Malherbe and into Place St Sauveur.

Stop for a coffee in Place Saint Sauveur and sit and look at the 18^th-century houses that line the sides. Shop at the market on Friday mornings for local Normandy cheeses, breads, meats and more. It’s all presided over by a statue of Louis XIV depicted as a Roman emperor rather than the Sun King. When I was there he was encased in a wooden box, decorated with some dubious Bacchanalian figures. You could see the regal figure but you could also see the back wooden wall as well. Hopefully it was temporary and he has now been restored to his real glory.

Then you are at the Abbaye aux Hommes.

Jardin des Plantes et Jardin Botanique

The collection was started in 1689 from the private garden of Jean-Baptiste Callard de la Ducquerle, a doctor and botanist. Today there’s an impressive main building and acres of plant-filled gardens. You can grab something to eat here as well. While it’s popular with locals for its advice, lessons and information on plants generally, it’s also a delightful place for visitors to wander through providing a welcome oasis in hot weather. Check opening times and ticket prices here.

Where to Stay in Caen

We stayed at The People Caen, which is an upmarket hostel. Being of a slightly older age than your normal hostel person, we were a little nervous. But it’s a fabulous place for people of any age and filled with families with the odd grandparent in tow.

Bedrooms are comfortable, light and airy though not large; bathrooms are good. There’s a rooftop bar with great views, good pizzas to order in the evening and the odd market inside selling all sorts of colourful, sometimes over-the-top kind of fashion that only suits somebody under 21.

Added to this, there’s public parking next door (though beware of using foreign credit cards; we spent a couple of hours with the very helpful receptionist trying to pay before succeeding). Once your car is safely stowed away, tram T2 starts its route here at Presqu’Île. There’s also a free shuttle bus taking you around Caen. The shuttle from here goes through the centre of town ending up at the Palais des Sports.

There are plenty of hotels in Caen, from budget accommodation to luxury.

Where to Eat in Caen

Vaugueux is the district to make for. It’s an area of small streets just east of the Château with a long pedestrianised street of excellent restaurants and bars. We walked there from the hostel, about a 20-minute pleasant stroll. Our destination? Horace.

Horace is a delightful restaurant located in one of the old houses that fill the district. We ate on the outside terrace which is a people-watching magnet. Traditional menus uses local ingredients and are excellent value. €24 and €28 menus take in crispy Camembert with apple and Normandy sausage for starters, mains such as confit of duck and salmon, and pasta for vegetarians. Desserts might include warm chocolate cake with passion-fruit sorbet and almond cake with lemon and vervain. The €42 menu includes the likes of oysters, sea bream ceviche and duck foie gras for starters, scallops, sirloin steak and more.

Horace
15 rue du Vaugueux 
14000 Caen
Tel: +33 (0) 2 31 93 50 7
Open Thursday to Monday 12noon-1.30pm & 7-9.30pm

Le Carlotta
Located on the Bassin Saint Pierre quay, Le Carlotta is a delightful Art Deco brasserie, complete with all the glorious over-the-top decorated glass, mirrors and plush red seating you expect to see in a traditional brasserie. Take advantage of the seaside location and order seafood – from oysters to a groaning fruits de mer plateau (€49 or €70). Those after turf rather than surf might go for duck confit parmentier, or a generous steak. It’s not the cheapest restaurant in Caen but it’s gracious, well positioned and serves excellent meals.

Le Carlotta
16 quai Vendeuvre
14000 Caen
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 86 68 99
Open Monday to Friday noon-2.30pm & 7-11pm

How to Get to Caen

Like most people coming from Britain, we went on Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth, one of the best ferry companies. The Guillaume de Normandie, the second of their Hybrid-LNG ships, takes ferry crossings up another level. If you go overnight book a comfortable cabin with a good bathroom. And eat if you can in the Bella Riva restaurant rather than the casual café to keep the cruise feeling. There are allergy free and pet friendly cabins as well. Public spaces are roomy and it’s remarkably quiet compared to the diesel engine ferries.  

By Sea

Top Tip:
We travelled by day, landing at Caen around 10pm. We got through French passport control fairly fast and it’s best to take the right-hand lane exiting the ferry which gives you two control points. But with the new 2026 restrictions it might take longer to get out of the French port. With our late arrival we booked at the Hotel du Phare. It’s a 3-star hotel, with a charming staff. We arrived too late to have a drink in the bar, but the manager brought us glasses and biscuits as we opened the bottle of Calvados we had bought on the ferry. Rooms are perfect for a quick overnight stay; there’s a good breakfast and you can park right outside the hotel. If you take a front view room you can see the port and the ferry, a 2-minute drive away.

Hotel du Phare
10 Place du Général de Gaulle
Ouistreham 14150
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 97 13 13
Website
Rooms from  £103 per night

Caen and World War II

Caen was the great objective of the D-Day Landings in June 1944. But it took far longer for the Allies to take than originally planned. On June 7, on their way from the Normandy landing beaches, the British and Canadian Divisions ran into the formidable German 12^th SS Panzer Division, the infamous Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth). Fighting in the villages around Caen took an extremely heavy toll, the story remembered in the many impressive memorials.

You’ll find beautifully maintained Commonwealth War Graves Commissions graveyards where the ages of those killed will make you weep. There are plenty of impressive memorials like the one dedicated to the Typhoon pilots, a dramatic black marble monument shaped as two arrows meeting, commemorating the 151 Typhoon pilots killed in Normandy between May and August 1944. It’s south of Caen at Noyage-Bocage. To the west, visit the emotive Abbaye d’Ardenne, where the Canadian Massacre memorial in a small peaceful garden remembers the 15 Canadian prisoners of war murdered on June 7.

If you want to see these, and a whole lot more, then (excuse the blatant advert), please buy a copy of the book I wrote with Alastair McKenzie, D-Day Landings, A Travel Guide to Normandy’s Beaches and Battlegrounds. It‘s published by Bradt Travel Guides and you can get it in bookshops or through Bradt Travel Guides website, or Amazon.  

Mémorial de Caen 

If you only have time for one museum to visit outside the centre, make it the Mémorial de Caen. It covers both world wars in detail, but is particularly strong on World War II. Superb themes, artefacts, videos and more will really bring history to life. But be warned, some of the story is very uncomfortable. The museum moves from One War to Another, through France in the dark years of the 30s, from European to World War, through Genocide, and propaganda to the end of the war…and what impact it had. There’s an excellent section on the D-Day Landings which I recommend you see before setting off around the sites around Caen. It ends with a 19-minute film.

The museum then continues to the Cold War and beyond. Well worth seeing is the separate underground bunker of General Richter, who directed the 716th German Infantry Division, and ran the German Normandy defence of the coast from here.

Le Mémorial de Caen
Esplanade Général Eisenhower
CS 55026
14050 Caen Cedex 4
Tel : +33 (0) 2 31 06 06 45
Website
Opening times vary during the year so check the website. But mainly the museum is open daily 9am-6pm.
Tickets: Adult €20.80; child and seniors €18.50; Family €53. Other rates valuable.
Combined tickets with other attractions also available.

More about Normandy

Normandy Impressionist Festival 2026
Normandy and Impressionism – A general overall look at the great Impressionist art movement and what to see in Normandy
Guide to the Impressionist Painters
Normandy Travel Guide – What to see and Do in Normandy
Getting to Normandy

World War II in Normandy

D-Day Landing Beaches from Utah to Sword

Caen Tourism Website

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The wide-ranging Normandy Impressionist Festival (Normandie Impressionisme) runs from May 29 to September 27, 2026. It’s a great year for Impressionism, marking the centenary of Claude Monet’s death in Giverny. The artist spent the last 43 years of his life here, making and painting his garden, marking Monet’s painting into a more abstract mode. The theme of this year’s Impressionist Festival is one of questions and ideas around Un Possible Jardin – The Gardens of Possibilities – a Contemporary Homage to Claude Monet. It’s directly inspired by Monet’s Giverny garden and the idea of gardens that are personal and intimate or public, openness or closure, nature controlled or allowed to rampage free and more.

It’s a very French and philosophical approach, but if you want to, just enjoy the huge number of different exhibitions for the art alone, leaving the philosophy to others.

The contemporary trail takes the idea of Monet’s Giverny garden with a series of exhibitions in places like Honfleur, Rouen, Vernon, Le Havre and more.

The festival concentrates on important contemporary works. Some of the most famous international artists have contributed: Ai Weiwei, Fujiko Nakaya, Noemie Goudal and others.

The Birth of Impressionism

It’s the evening of April 15, 1874, and a group of 30 young, unknown and struggling  painters gather in the studio of the photographer Félix Nadar at 35 boulevard des Capucines for an exhibition of their work. The Cooperative and Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers included Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro, Alfred Sisley and Paul Cézanne. They were showing works that had been rejected by the Académie des Beaux-Arts Salon. 

The exhibition was not a success; it was too revolutionary for the time. The name ‘Impressionism’ was coined as an insult by a Parisian journalist called Louis Leroy. He was writing about Monet’s Impressionism, Soleil Levant, a painting of the sun rising over the port at Le Havre and he referred to it as ‘unfinished’. He wrote sarcastically in the journal Charivari on April 25, 1874: “What does this painting represent? Impression! Impression, I was sure of it. I also said to myself, since I am impressed, there must be some impression in it.”

Impressionism was born in that studio, and greeted with universal initial horror; the style was such a complete change from the stuffy classicism of the past 100 years. It took decades before Impressionism was appreciated and the artists struggled for many years.

2026 Normandy Impressionist Festival

The exhibitions centre around Normandy and Paris, the two places most associated with the Impressionists. It was on the beaches of the Normandy coastline and along the bustling boulevards of Paris where the artists set up their easels to record life and paint in the open air, something made possible by the invention of oil paints in tubes.

Major Exhibitions of Normandy Impressionist Festival 2026

Museums in Normandy

Giverny

Musée des Impressionnismes: Monet in Giverny: Before the Water Lilies, 1883-1890 takes Monet’s early years here, from 1883 to 1890 when he bought the house and began designing the garden. 30 paintings depict poplars, meadows, the banks of the Epte and the Seine in different weather patterns: rain and sunlight, mist and clouds.
March 27 to July 5, 2026

Honfleur

Musée Eugène Boudin: In this exceptionally pretty little port town, the museum is featuring Monet’s early days as an artist. Boudin encouraged the young painter to go outdoors to paint en plein air.

Rouen

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen has the largest collection of works by Monet outside Paris. Particularly worth seeing are his paintings of Rouen Cathedral. In summer you can see the facades of Rouen Cathedral lit up nightly, usually from June to September. The theme for this year is still to be announced.

Studio DRIFT shows the installation Meadow, with water lily lights opening under the visitors’ heads. It’s in the city centre heritage space: the 10^th century Sainte-Croix-des-Pelletiers church.

Le Havre

The maritime city is not appreciated enough for its museums and galleries. But this year it pushes the boat out with Monet in Le Havre at the Museum of Modern Art (MuMa).

Monet lived in Le Havre as a child and a young man, from 1845 when Monet was five years old to 1874, a seminal year for Monet and Impressionism. It was a formative time: he painted his first canvas, View Taken at Rouelles as well as major works like The Pointe de la Hève at Sainte-Adresse (National Gallery, London) and Seascape:, Night Effect (1864, National Gallery, Scotland). At the mouth of the Seine Estuary, nearby Pointe de la Hève at Sainte-Adresse was seen as the ‘end of the world’.

His family and local collectors were immensely supportive, and his painter friends Eugene Boudin and Gustave Courbet introduced him to new patrons. The exhibition has documents not seen before about his life, paintings, drawings and sketchbooks as well as photographs.
June 5-September 27, 2026

Caen

Celeste Boursier-Mougenot created a sound installation inspired by Monet’s water lilies – Clinamen which is outdoors in Caen at the Colline aux Oiseaux Park. FRAC Normandie has a crysstal garden and a circle of 12 ‘sound swings’  (which you can play on) topped with church bells.

Paris

Musée de l’Orangerie: Monet – au fil de l’eau (Monet – In Real Time). The theme of Monet  painting time focuses on how Monet’s style clanged from the 1870s to the 1890s. Almost 40 paintings are displayed at the museum that was called a true ‘Sistine Chapel of Impressionism (Andre Masson in 1952), with particular focus on the famous Nymphéas (Water Lilies).
September 30, 2026 to January 25, 2027.

Musée Marmottan Monet: Houses the world’s largest collection of Monet paintings (including Impression, Sunrise). The museum will host Histoires du Paysage de Monet a Hockney (1890-1925). Focusing on landscape art it starts with Monet and then goes on to show works by major 20^th and 21^st century artists, ending with David Hockney’s famous Normandy pieces. 

La Maison Impressioniste Argenteuil

West of Paris on the banks of the Seine, Claude Monet lived in Argenteuil from 1871 to 1878. He painted over 256 works here, with 156 depicting Argenteuil. His studio and living rooms have been reconstructed in the Museum. Along with the documents here you get an idea of Monet’s life and work.

Monet’s House in Vétheuil

Claude Monet lived in a rented house in Vétheuil, about 15 minutes from Giverny, from 1878 to 1881. It was an unhappy time for the artist; his first wife Camille, died here and his paintings were not selling. But the paintings of his small, steep garden are lush and happy. You can visit the house this year at specific times. Check the website for openings.
Apr 1-Oct 31, 2026.

Where to see Clade Monet’s paintings in Paris

Musée d’Orsay has the greatest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world. 

Monet Travels to Brittany

In mid September 1886, Monet traveled to the island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Brittany. He fell in love with the dramatic, tempestuous coast with its raging tides and rocky landscape. He returned home, completed the paintings and exhibited them, with great success, the following year.

Discover more about Monet and Brittany

Houses and Studios of the Impressionists

Walking around an artist’s house and studio gives a wonderfully realistic feel of the painter, their life and work. The most visited, and well-known, is the house of Claude Monet in Giverny (see above).

Visit any of these other houses during the Normandy Impressionist Festival 2026; all are well worth a detour.

Jean-François Millet was born in 1841 in Gréville-Hague, northeast Normandy. The modest house is now a museum, recalling his childhood in the mid 19th century.
In 1849 he moved to Barbizon on the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau and lived there until 1875. Here he painted the local rural life, in particular L’Angélus and Les Glaneuses, two canvases that have been exhibited around the world. The Millet Museum has his paintings as well as other Impressionist painters, engravings and prints.

Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) lived in Yerres from 1860 to 1880. The large Caillebotte Museum south of Paris occupies his house. A visit takes you back to the late 19th-century and gives you the chance to see many of his works.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) spent his final days at the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise. He lived in the atmospheric room under the eaves of the house in a Paris suburb. Today it’s a restaurant; have lunch or dinner then see the room.
More about Vincent van Gogh in Paris.

More Impressionist Delights to Savour

There are plenty of events put on at the Impressionist Normandy festival.
Take a cycle tour around Giverny with a guide who knows the village well and makes sure you see all the major sites linked to Claude Monet.

Try your hand at painting like an Impressionist. The Alabaster Coast provides the inspiration; you provide (hopefully) the artistic expertise, with an art teacher to guide you.

If you want to experience how the Impressionist painters spent their leisure hours, try the Founaise restaurant at Chatou. It’s a restaurant but the outside terrace recalls the guinguettes, open-air cafés often located beside a river where the atmosphere was casual and the food and drink offering a cheap and cheerful option.

Look at both these official websites for all the information on the wide-ranging exhibitions and events:

Impressionist Adventures
Normandy Impressionist Festival 2026 – Normandy Tourist Office

Normandy and Impressionism – A general overall look at the great Impressionist art movement and what to see in Normandy
Guide to the Impressionist Painters

Normandy Travel Guide – What to see and Do in Normandy
Getting to Normandy

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Here’s some great budget accommodation in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins on the Mediterranean coast. Both these places, located on either side of the Cap d’Antibes but a short distance apart, are particularly popular holiday destinations, so hotels tend to be relatively expensive. But there’s some good budget accommodation that I’ve discovered on my trips there.

Rates

Book as far in advance as you can to get the best rates. They will vary according to which season you choose. Generally the high season runs July and August and mostly into September. Some places give specific dates; others are vague. Remember that all prices these days are fluid, except for bed and breakfasts which have fixed prices throughout the year.

The prices shown here are for double rooms for 2 people per night; breakfast is per person. Most of the hotels, and some of the bed and breakfasts, will have triple and family rooms as well. So pick the accommodation you like the most and go from there.

I have included two hotels which are more expensive (Hôtel Juan Beach and Hôtel Mademoiselle, both in Juan-les-Pins). But they are excellent value out of season, and very enjoyable hotels at any time of the year so I’ve got these in this list as well.

Bed and Breakfast in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins

If you prefer something a little less hotel like, try a bed and breakfast. They provide good budget accommodation in Antibes/Juan-les-Pins

L’Air du Temps

There are 3 bedrooms and one small apartment in this pretty Provençal house with its sand coloured exterior and tiled floors. It was built by the present owners, the Scassus, and its delightful rooms have individual character. Mitsouko has a chandelier and a pink/red colour scheme; Vent vert’s green walls are echoed in the garden you step into from French doors. There’s a terrace to laze on, a garden to look at and a pool to swim in or take breakfast beside. Rates include breakfast.

Villa Plein Sol

This bed and breakfast has just three spacious, ground-floor rooms, elegantly decorated with antiques. Just five minutes on foot to the beaches of Juan-les-Pins, the stone-built house is restful and welcoming and has a terraced garden. Take a lazy breakfast outside, and if it rains there’s a communal room with books and games. Rates include breakfast.

Hotels in Antibes

La Jabotte

Tucked down a lane leading to the Salis beach, La Jabotte is a rare and unexpected one-off. It has just 9 rooms, 7 of them on a private terrace looking onto a shared patio, and 2 of them on the first floor of the main hotel. No TVs in the rooms around the terrace for peace and quiet, an attraction that is fiercely protected by the owner. Rooms are prettily decorated in rustic style; bathrooms are very good. There’s a delightful breakfast room which doubles as the reception area, full of odd objects on the walls. The musical can try the keyboard or take down one of the guitars hanging on the walls and don their inner folk star. They have a 24h/24h bar and snacks on site.

There’s a sauna (and also wellness massages), and private parking, plus free bicycle and kayak rental (subject to availability). They provide everything you need for the beach from parasols to towels. There’s a very cheap laundry service which is great if you’re staying some time.

Take their delightful little tuk tuk ride through Antibes. And for a late check-out, like the Hotel Cecil, there is a shower guests can use before setting off.

Hôtel La Place

Centrally located near the old town, but just enough off the main streets to be peaceful, this hotel is delightful. It’s owned by Bernadette Walberer who will probably be there to greet you. 14 rooms on three floors, each with its own fresh and muted colour scheme, are well sized and recently refurbished. Bathrooms are equally good. Book the corner bedroom with its balcony overlooking the street. Take breakfast in the downstairs restaurant or outside on the terrace. The restaurant also acts as a bar and has good plates of cheeses and charcuterie during the day. There is no lift in the hotel.

Modern Hôtel

Right in the heart of Antibes this is the place for a budget stay if you like being in the centre of the action. A few minutes from the outdoor market, the old town and the beaches, it’s near most of the small restaurants. 19 bedrooms are small, plain and functional, but pleasant; atmosphere is friendly and casual. There’s also a small bedroom with kitchenette and small bathroom on the top floor with its own entrance. It’s now run by the grandchildren of the original owners, so you’ll be greeted by Laurence, Jean-Marie or Vincent Fecheno.

Hotels in Juan-les-Pins

Beau Site

Near the small Garoupe beach on the Cap, the 29 rooms are simply but prettily decorated with old wooden furniture in a style dating back to the 18^th century. Views from the windows and balconies look to the sea or the mountains or onto the tree-filled garden. There’s a bar, a decent sized swimming pool and a shady terrace and bicycles to rent. There’s also a suite, plus a studio let by the week.

Eden Hôtel – La Baigneuse

A hop, skip and a jump from the beaches of Juan-les-Pins, the three-star Eden Hotel offers good value for money. The 1930s building looks just like a proper seaside hotel and has 17 refurbished, simply decorated bedrooms, with the ones at the front offering views down the street to the sea. You can take breakfast on the terrace. A major plus of the hotel is the warm welcome from the family who own it.

Hôtel Alexandra

Built at the end of the 19^th century, this 3-star family run hotel has high ceilings and a definite belle epoque feel. 20 good sized rooms are simply furnished in pretty colours. Some have garden views; others overlook the street. You can take breakfast in the pretty garden.

Hôtel Cecil

This is a real find and is my favourite of the small 3-star hotels in Juan-les-Pins. Bought by a Parisian couple five years ago, the hotel has been completely refurbished, re-opening as a boutique hotel a year ago. You’re welcomed by the owner, Delphine Boffy, whose expertise in décor is obvious as soon as you walk into the spacious breakfast room with its modern and quirky items. This is where you take a very good breakfast sourced from bio ingredients. Corridors are bright and airy with each room distinguished by specially commissioned wallpaper, which is echoed inside the room. Beds are a good size, there’s enough cupboard space and bathrooms are well done. One has a free-standing bath (all the rest have showers). There’s a little garden and a small terrace, and unusually for a small hotel here, an elevator.

Finally, there’s a small touch that other hotels should copy. A former single room is now a shower/WC with an iron and ironing board. Guests can use this if they arrive early when rooms are not ready or leave late after check-out. It’s free for guests and means you can have a last-minute swim, take a shower and leave for the airport on your final day. Genius!

Hôtel Des Mimosas

This pretty, three-storey hotel built in the early 1900s is surrounded by a delightful garden full of palm trees and flowering plants. The 34 bedrooms have been refurbished and are a good size and some have balconies overlooking the greenery. There’s an outdoor pool, bar and TV room. Free parking. Book for a minimum of 2 nights only.

Hôtel La Marjolaine

This modest two-star hotel has small rooms in a rather quirky building. It’s in a moderately quiet street and has a terrace-cum-garden in the front. The 16 rooms are old fashioned but delightful. There’s a small lounge and it has private parking.

Hôtel Mademoiselle

This small 3-star boutique hotel of 14 rooms is distinctive and quirky. It’s more expensive than the other hotels in this list, but worth it. Each room is different; some with bold colours; others with eccentric decorations like plaster rhino heads on the walls, or lamps that look like small clouds. It’s all done with style. There’s a small pool, an honesty bar and better than average in-room items like a Nespresso machine in each room. They can also provide meals as part of their room service, and special gluten free breakfasts.

Hôtel Juan Beach

White and blue, just like a seaside hotel should be, and close to the Juan-les-Pins beaches, this 3-star Art Deco 24-room hotel is bright, welcoming and just out of the main frenzy of the resort. Set back slightly from a quiet road, choose a room with a balcony overlooking the small heated swimming pool at the front. There’s no elevator but ground floor rooms. Take breakfast on the terrace in front of the pool or in the charming bar opposite where there’s an open log fire for chilly days. Again, it’s more expensive than most of the hotels here, and particularly during the big events like the Cannes Film Festival when it’s very popular and fully booked way in advance.

La Bastide du Bosquet

La Bastide du Bosquet is an 18^th-century, pink-washed house beautifully restored and now an elegant house to rent out for 4 to 7 nights. Pretty rooms overlook the garden of palm trees and laurels where you can take breakfast, and there’s a good library of books and family games making this a home from home, Provençale style. Guy de Maupassant wrote short stories and his novel Mont Orio while staying here in 1886.

And for a bit of sightseeing…

…You can’t come to this part of France without visiting the Queen of the Mediterranean. Here’s a short guide to what to do and see in Nice.

Check out the local Provence markets in Antibes and nearby

Guide to Provence

The French Riviera has always attracted the famous, literary, the outlandish and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald. Read Lisa Gerard Sharp’s take on the Riviera – Great Gatsby Style and walk in their footsteps.

More on Hotels in France

Here is information on the best cheap and good value hotel chains in France.

And if you are in Normandy visiting the D-Day Landing beaches, these are the hotels to book.

The post Budget Accommodation in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Plan a trip taking in the Christmas châteaux in the Loire Valley around Orléans that have special Christmas openings and events. They are located to the south west of Orléans, with a couple further away.

I have listed them geographically down the Loire Valley from Orléans, starting with Meung-sur-Loire. The last two châteaux listed here are a little out of the way.  

Château de Meung sur Loire

The small medieval town of Meung-sur-Loire itself is well worth a visit. Combine it with the Christmas château and it makes a great short break. This year over 20 of the rooms are themed specially for Christmas. Lucie Lux, a very special character, takes you on a new 20-minute adventure with le Krizo theatre group, daily at 2.15, 3, 3.45 and 4.30. You can draw or write on the walls of one room;  Santa is waiting to greet you (up to Dec 23), meet Walter the magical speaking robot and let off steam on the bouncy castle.

Château de Meung sur Loire
16 Place du Martroi
45130 Meung-sur-Loire
Tel: +33 (0)2 38 44 36 47
Website
Open: Nov 29-30, Dec 13-14, 20-23, 26-30. 2-6pm
Admission: Adult €12,50, reduced price €11, child 4-15 years €9, under 4 years and over 80 years free.

Chambord Château

Chambord is one of the great châteaux of the Loire Valley. And it is huge with over 400 rooms…and 282 fireplaces. At Christmas it pulls out all the stops (though it doesn’t light all the fires). Decorations are inspired by fairy tales, particularly Hans Christian Andersen commemorating the 150^th anniversary of his death. There’s a brand new grand magic show by Gaël the magician, a festive Christmas village near the château, as well as activities every weekend in December from traditional games to Renaissance dances. Don’t miss the chocolate painting. This is one of the Christmas châteaux in the Loire Valley around Orleans that you should see.

The château and gardens are decorated with Christmas trees, beautifully illuminated. If you can, get a look at the chateau from the canal side to see the yews lit up.

Chambord Château
Chambord
41250 Loir-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 50 40 00
Website
Open: Dec 21 to Jan 4: 9am-6pm
Check the website as the château will be closed on certain Mondays.
Admission: Adult €19.50; reduced price €16.50.

Château de Blois

Blois has one of the best son et lumière shows in France during the summer; at Christmas the mood changes. In 2025, from 28 November, stars will appear as if by magic.
In the paved courtyard of the château, a moon and stars shine on each façade; in the gardens, Under the Cloud offers more coloured lights.

Inside, garlands of lights magically bring the chapel back to life. Finally the highlight of the show: two huge stars, 5 metres high, shine in the immense Salle des États Généraux, illuminating its vaulted blue-midnight ceiling. And there are candlelit concerts, poetic performances and more.

Château de Blois
6 place du Château
Blois
41000 Loire-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 90 33 33
Website
Open: Nov 28-Dec 19: 10am-5pm (closes at 6 p.m. on Fri, Sat, and Sun.
Dec 20-Jan 3, 2026: 10am-7pm (closes at 5pm on Dec 24 & 31)
Closed Dec 25 and Jan 1, 2026
Admission: Adult €14.50; reduced rate €11; child 6-17 years €7.50; under 6 free.

Château de Cheverny

With lavish furniture and décor, Cheverny is a delight, particularly when it’s sumptuously decorated with Christmas decorations. This year the theme is Christmas treats with giant sweets.
Dec 7: Santa Claus arrives…but how remains to be seen. There’s the giving of gifts then a chance for photographs with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and their elves. Warm up with mulled wine and the famous Cheverny homemade hot chocolate.

Château de Cheverny
Avenue du Château
Cheverny
41700 Loire-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 79 96 29
Website
Special Christmas Events: Nov 29, 2025 to Jan 18, 2026
Open daily: Oct 1-Dec 31: 10am-5.30pm
Admission: Adult €15; reduced rate €11; under 7 years old free.

Domaine of Chaumont-sur-Loire

The gracious château looking down onto the Loire River is mainly known for its annual garden festival (a bit like Chelsea Flower Show but it lasts much longer). Visit in winter and discover how the family prepared for Christmas Eve in the late 19^th century. Marie-Charlotte-Constance Say, heir to the Say sugar refineries, was the last private owner of the château from 1875 to 1938 and she spent money lavishly. From the stables to the chateau’s rooms, decorations transform the castle, particularly in the salon with its decorated Christmas trees. The feast is being prepared in the kitchens.
Take a guided tour to get a glimpse of some of the smaller, different rooms from the servants’ quarters to the children’s bedroom.  

Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
Chaumont-sur-Loire
41150 Loire-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 20 99 22
Website
Open: Nov 29-Jan 11, 2026. Daily except Dec 25 and Jan 1: 10am-5.30pm
Admission: Winter Low Season Adult: €16; reduced rate €9; 6 to 11 years old €4.

Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin

Privately owned and lived in continuously for over 350 years, the Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin goes all elvie at Christmas. The first elf, Barnabé, will introduce you to the adventure of exploring the castle. The stables are full of miniature animals; a musician elf practices in Santa’s private apartments; there’s a toy attic, a DIY workshop and kitchens where the gourmet elf will offer you his famous honey madeleines and a hot chocolate. And you end by meeting Santa.

Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin
2-4 rue Général Leclerc
La Ferté-Saint-Aubin
45240 Loiret
Tel: +33 (0)2 38 76 52 72
Website
Open: Dec 6-7, 13-14, 20-23 & 26-30 2pm-6pm
Admission: Adult €16; reduced rate (12-20 years old); €14 Child (4-11 years old) €1; under 3 years free

Château de la Bussière

Christmas fairy tales transform every room with decorations on the theme of the best stories of our childhood. Walk through enchanted villages, forests made out of paper and rooms fit for a princess. Taking place from Dec 6, 2025 to Jan 3, 2026, there are special days with interactive events called Spectacle de magie de Noël (Dec 6, 7, 13, 14, 23, 26 & 30), and from Dec 27 to 29, actors take over as they bring to life the story of Cosette (episode 4) in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

Château de la Bussière
35 Rue du Château
La Bussière
45230 Loiret
Tel +33 (0)9 50 55 63 68
Website
Open: Dec 6-7, 13-14, 20-23 & 26-30, Jan 2-3, 2026: 2pm-6pm
Admission: Adult €10, reduced rate €7.50, 4-15 years €5
Château and spectacle: Adult €13, reduced rate €10.50, 4-15 years €9

Discover the Château de la Bussière on the drive down the Loire Valley between Nevers and Orleans.

Château de Maintenon

The château de Maintenon was the glorious home of Madame de Maintenon, the secret wife of France’s Sun King, Louis XIV. For Christmas the château takes you back to the past, but a past rather more recent…the 19^th century. The year is 1843 and the glorious celebration is…A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Expect Victorian decorations, songs, a workshop and a lot more.
Their programme takes in talks about the story, carols, a workshop making Christmas crowns, Christmas cards and more. It starts with Father Christmas himself on December 7, with horse and carriage rides, a walk with singers and fireworks.

Château de Maintenon
2 Place Aristide Briand
Maintenon
28130 Eure-et-Loir
Tel: +33 (0)2 37 23 00 09
Website:
Open: Dec 6-Jan 4, 2026 : Tues-Fri 2-6.30pm; Sat-Sun 10.30am-6.30pm
Admission: Adult €8.50; reduced rate €4.50, 7 to 18 years €4.

More about Christmas in France

Christmas in Touraine in the Loire Valley Chateaux

Christmas in France

December Events in France
Best Christmas Markets in France
Best Christmas Markets in North France (plus where to stay in each town)
How the French celebrate Christmas
Festive Christmas Food in France

More about the Loire Valley

Drive the whole way along the Loire Valley from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne to St. Nazaire where the mighty river empties into the sea
The Great Rivers of France

Geography of France

Departments of France
Regions of France

The post Christmas Châteaux in the Loire Valley around Orléans appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Cité du Vin stands beside the Garonne River in the Bacalan district. The tall building has been described in so many different ways. To some it looks like a sailing vessel; to others a lookout post, or a lighthouse. Or how about the coiled growth of a vine, or wine poured into a decanter?

Whatever you may think of the building, there’s no doubt about its importance. Not only is it an inspiring place to learn more about wine and enjoy tastings, it’s been given one of those designations that the French so delight in (and let’s face it, they do so well). It’s part of the official Make it Iconic. Choose France campaign, along with the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame-de-Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel.

Cité du Vin was started in 2008 and opened in 2016. Its completion marked the beginning of a huge expansion of the Bacalan area, the former commercial port. It’s now a vibrant and exciting part of Bordeaux.  

The Permanent Exhibition

Once you’re past the ground floor, with its shop, wine shop, conference space, The Latitude Brasserie and café, terrace, gardens, tickets and restrooms, you go up to the exhibition. It’s beautifully designed with spaces that meld into each other, separated by tall wooden columns that might suggest a cathedral, or a little more prosaically, a wooden wine bottle.

The Story Begins

Huge screens fill the initial Vineyards of the World space with spectacular images. Landscapes vary from Tahiti to the slopes of Mount Fuji. I learnt so much on the way: in the Moselle Valley vines are planted on very steep slopes to get the most of the sun; in Santorini they train canes of vines into wreaths to protect the grapes from the harsh sandy winds of the island. The vines of Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes in Argentina, capture the water that runs down from the glaciers; Finland is the most northerly country producing wines.

The Winemaker

This section is for those interested in the process. Even I, a little doubtful about this, lingered over the terroirs that produce different flavours, and the year in the life of a winemaker, which according to the poetic captions…’means living to the rhythm of the plant’s growth…trembling before the vagaries of the weather. Will June rain destroy the flowers? Will it bring disease?…It also means pruning, pulling away the canes, pruning again, attaching, debudding…’ and so on.
You come out feeling nothing but admiration for the winemakers.

Through the Ages

The Gallery of Civilisations is where I lost myself and spent most of my time. Wine has been part of our life since 6,000 B.C. but the story really begins with the ancient Greeks. The gallery covers thousands of years in a few galleries and does it with style and humour.

As Homer wrote in 8 B.C:

‘There is no moment more delightful in life than that when guests, sitting around a well-laden table, lend their ears to a minstrel while the cup-bearer, drawing wine from an amphora, fills every cup!’

And there you have it.

You’re taken through the taverns of Pompeii (particularly debauched), into the world of the ‘heavenly wines of the Pharoahs’ who took wine into the afterlife, to the first wines mixed with sea water (courtesy of the Greeks), medieval wines ‘as clear as an eye’ and on to Pasteur whose research into the fermentation of wine and its effects made him the progenitor of modern oenology.

Stories are told in this series of delightful small rooms with pictures and quotes. As Galileo wrote: ‘Wine is the sunlight held together by water’.

The Art of Living

Here you get to do all sorts of fun things, like sniffing different smells and trying to identify them. And listening to what the great and the good, and sometimes the pompous and the mad, have said about wine with more videos and clips from films that feature wine.

‘A real connoisseur does not drink a wine but tastes its secrets.’ Salvador Dali (1904-1989).

I particularly like the quote by Nikoloz Doborjinidze, founder of Georgia’s Space Research Agency in 2019: ‘Our ancestors brought wine to Earth so we can now do the same to Mars’.

You look at maps, and it becomes clear why vineyards in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and elsewhere in the world are mainly located along waterways. It’s partly because water tempers the harshest weather but it’s mainly down to transport. Until railways took over in the 19^th century, rivers and canals offered the best, often the only, way to get your wine to market.

Guide to Bordeaux Wines

And of course there is a large, fascinating section about the wines of Bordeaux. The section takes you out of the city into the great surrounding wine-growing regions of Médoc, Graves and Sauternes, Blaye and Bourg, Saint-Emilion Pomerol and Fronsac, and Entre-Deux-Mers…names to conjure with.

Via Sensoria

The prospect of an immersive wine tour where ‘sensory experiences and tastings meet in the heart of unique dreamlike spaces…’ filled me with dread. In typical French hyperbole, Via Sensoria promises stimulating the senses, a physical and emotional transition. And to get to the pre-booked experience, I had to give up seeing more of the permanent exhibition which I was hugely enjoying.

So I was delighted when the Via Sensoria turned out to be fascinating…and different. Our small group was taken into the space by the sommelier. We sat down, gentle lights came on and images filled the space we had been ushered into. It’s done so well that even my sceptical shoulders relaxed and I felt cautious optimism.

The sommelier takes you through four seasonal pavilions. Each one has a different setting and mood; each is decorated with glass panels depicting the season you are in. At each season, there’s a brief description from the sommelier as you do the tasting.  

Spring gives you ducklings, fresh buds, rising sap, the sun rising and… a lovely yellow Sauvignon Blanc with a whisper of fresh grass. This wine is from the Loire where the lack of water leads to the roots going deep down. There’s a touch of grapefruit in the taste.

Summer brings a wine which is served in black glasses so you have to use your nose not your eyes. It’s a Clairet from Bordeaux, half way between a deep rosé and light red. It’s light and fresh with hints of strawberry and blackcurrant.

Autumn takes you to Georgia where wine is stored in big terracotta barrels. The pavilion evokes the wind blowing, the trees stripped of their leaves, and the harvest. The wine, made from the Saperavi grape variety is rich; and we also taste a cassis syrup of blackcurrant berries.

Everywhere there are appropriate quotes about wine.

In autumn, one from the Lebanese/Canadian author, Nami Moukheiber.

A little autumn wind has come to whisper
languid rustlings in the ear of summer
He came blowing through the trees first
September is here, he can do as he pleases.

Winter and we enter the fourth and final space with winter images of Northern lights, kids in warm clothes. And we were served a honeyed Hungarian Tokay that took us straight to warm firesides and a rich dark chocolate drink after a day in the snowy landscape.

It is the shortest day
Counting down
until the twilight
That comes a little too early…
It’s the hemisphere tilting
And shredding its skin…

As you can see, I was thoroughly seduced and taken over by the experience and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Food and drink at the Cité du Vin

Brasserie Latitude20, a wine and snack bar is on the ground floor is ideal for lunch, drink or dinner.  It has a top wine list reasonably priced.
Lunch Mon-Fri: Starters €10-€18; mains €23-€28; desserts €10-€12. Menus €24-€29
Wine Bar: Sun-Wed: 3pm to 7pm Thurs-Sat: 3pm-10pm
Boards of different charcuterie, or smoked salmon: €9-€28
2-course lunch €22,50, 3 courses €27.50
Open: The Snack bar: daily from 10am to 5pm
The Brasserie: dailyfrom 12pm to 3pm
The Wine bar: Sunday to Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm and Thursday to Saturday from 3pm to 10pm.
Tel: +33 (0) 5 64 31 0550

Le 7 looks out from the 7th floor and offers cooking as spectacular as the view. This is a restaurant for serious dining.
A la carte: Starters €18-€25; mains from €26 to €34; desserts from €10 to €16.
Mon-Fri lunch menu starter and main €32; 5 course dinner menu €70; childrens menu 3 courses €16 (free on Wednesday except school holidays).
Open: D from 10am to 11am for breakfast (by reservation)
Lunch Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm; Sun 12pm-4pm
Sweet snacks: Mon, Tues, Sun 3pm,-4pm; Wed-Sat 3pm-7pm
Dinner Wed-Sat from 7pm-9.30pm (last orders 9.30pm)
Tel: +33 (0)5 64 31 05 40

The Belvédère. On the 8^th floor of the Cité du Vin, the Belvédère offers a 360 degree view of Bordeaux along with tasting one, or several, of the many wines stocked here. Buy a ticket here.

More Information

Cité du Vin
134 Quai de Bacalan,
33300 Bordeaux
Website
Opening hours and Ticket prices

How to get there

By Tram line B: The nearest tram stop, La Cité du Vin, is a 2-minute walk

By Bus: Bus 7, 25, 27 to La Cité du Vin

By Car: There is paid parking nearby.

The Bordeaux Tourist Office can help with all your queries, from hotel bookings to guided tours.
12 cours du XXX juillet
33080 Bordeaux
+33(0) 5 56 00 66 00
Website
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am-5pm

Guide to Glorious Bordeaux

Getting to Bordeaux

From Paris by train: The TGV is direct and takes 3 hours from Paris.
From the UK: By plane: BA, Easyjet and AirFrance fly from London and regional cities to Bordeaux.

Take the tram from the airport to city centre

Getting around Bordeaux

The city centre is very walkable with pedestrian areas everywhere. The tram system runs throughout Bordeaux, using a unique ground power system so you’re not distracted by overhead wires. It runs from 5am to midnight or 1 a.m. depending on the day. There are regular buses.
Bordeaux Tourism website

More about the Bordeaux Region

The French Atlantic Coast
The Glorious Vendée Department

AND...
Great Rivers of France
Food Festivals of France

The post Cité du Vin in Bordeaux appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Bordeaux is a glorious city. The gracious and elegant capital of the Aquitaine region is rich with classical buildings, formal squares, unusual and stunning attractions, and tucked-away quartiers where you can wander the streets and find individual shops and boulangeries, cafés and bars. The city stands proudly on the grand Garonne river on the French Atlantic coast.

Victor Hugo was an admirer: ‘Take Versailles, add Antwerp and you have Bordeaux…Add to that, my friend, the magnificent Gironde, bustling with ships, the delightful backdrop of green hills, a fine sky and warm sun, and you will fall in love with Bordeaux, even if you only drink water.’

I recently spent three days in Bordeaux and despite a punishing schedule missed out quite a few of the city’s attractions. Next time I’ll take a week.

Start with this guide to Bordeaux to make the most of your time here.

Bordeaux – A City Devoted to Wine and the Cité du Vin

Bordeaux sits at the heart of one of the world’s great wine-producing regions. Anyone with even a passing interest in the noble grape should schedule a visit to the Cité du Vin.

“It’s going to be my Guggenheim” declared Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux in 2006 when the project was born. It’s a pretty extraordinary piece of architecture: its undulating shape and its distinctive curves have been described as evoking a sailing ship…wine poured from a decanter…or swirling around a wine glass.

Make of the outside what you will; inside you’ll find a fascinating series of exhibitions telling you the story of mankind’s great drink. I’d advise at least half a day for a visit, and if you can, eat here at Le 7, restaurant that looks out over the Garonne and Bordeaux.  

Article about the Cité du Vin

Don’t Miss: The Bordeaux Wine Festival normally takes place in June. But next year it coincides with the Tall Ships Race. The race starts in Bordeaux and runs from July 7-11, 2027, the same dates as the Bordeaux Wine Festival.

Les Bassins de Lumière

Step inside Les Bassins de Lumière in the same quartier as the Cité du Vin (and conveniently near), for extraordinary annual changing exhibitions. This is the world’s largest digital art centre, offering an experience which will entrance, sometimes frighten, and always impress you.

Housed in the former World War II German submarine base in the Bacalan quartier, the sound-proofed insulated spaces, some up to eight metres high, are filled with 360° images that slowly change. I stood mesmerised in the first gallery, then walked over footbridges into more galleries with different dream-like images that are hypnotic in their effects.

There are six spaces in total, each offering a different experience. Take in the art shows, then a huge mooring bay built over the water. As you look, the gates appear to open and submarines seem to enter the base, moving towards you at a menacing speed. There’s an area where you can sit in tiered stages to watch the show from different heights, and a museum space with the history of the building. And of course, a very good shop at the end.

I was there for the 2025 exhibition (which runs to Jan 6, 2026). Egyptian Pharaohs from the Old Kingdom of Khéops to the New Kingdom of Ramsès II (c. 2589 BC to 1213 BC) taught me more about this ancient history than any book I have read. We were brought more up to date with The Orientalists exhibition which focuses on the French Orientalist painters: Ingres, Delacroix and Jean-Léon Gérôme. We were there during the week; on Sundays the place must have been full of families watching The Little Prince come to life with Saint-Exupery’s images blown up to fantastic proportions.
Les Bassins de Lumière website

Tip: If you’re here in the Bacalan district, try shopping at Les Halles de Bacalan for regional and local foods and products. It’s a great place to put together a picnic, or eat a casual lunch at one of the stalls. Open daily except Mondays.

Walk the City’s Old Quartiers

Bordeaux is a great city for walking, particularly through its small compact historic areas. If you have time, pick one and spend a minimum of a couple of hours exploring. If time is limited, take a guided tour. Bruno Coiffard, a Bordeaux guide, took us around different areas, taking great pleasure in pointing out the superiority of Bordeaux over Paris.  Bruno Coiffard (+33 6 08 28 65 26). At the end of our two tours we agreed with him (sorry Paris!).

Tip: If you’re feeling peckish as you walk around, pop into one of the Cassonade Cannelés & Spécialités cafés for a coffee and a speciality of the city, a cassonade – a delicious caramelized cake that comes in a distinctive shape.

Port de la Lune (Port of the Moon)

This romantically named quayside doesn’t denote a district as such, but is the heart of old Bordeaux. It’s a crescent-shaped bend in the river, originally the source of Bordeaux’s wealth. In the Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul district, the Port of the Moon was the heart of the global trading center between Africa, Europe and the Americas.

From the noisy, crowded and dangerous quays, ships carried the precious commodities of coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugar and indigo from to the rest of Europe. By the 18^th century, with its dominance as a wine-exporter, Bordeaux was the second busiest port in the world after London.

The port has long disappeared but in its place stands the Place de la Bourse and in front of it the Miroir d’Eau, between the Place and the river. The largest water mirror in the world spouts water from the fountains during the day and magically reflects the illuminated, semi circular buildings at night.

If you want to see a superb example of French neoclassical architecture, this is it. The warm stone buildings facing the river in the Place de la Bourse have a wonderful symmetry, fanning out from the centre in two arcs that follow the banks of the river. The Place (Stock Exchange Square) took from 1730 to 1775 to build, replacing the medieval crowded muddle of Bordeaux which was breaking out of the old city walls. The north building was the original stock exchange (now the Chamber of Commerce); the Hôtel des Fermes to the south was built for the local customs authority. It now houses the Musée Nationale des Douanes, reopened in Spring 2025. It’s well worth a visit. We might think that customs and excise is a pretty dull subject, but avoiding taxes has always been an ingenious pastime. A wooden stool opens up to become a salt store. It was designed so the lady of the house could firmly sit on it, hiding the heavily taxed commodity under her voluminous skirts. And such handsome hats.

Find out more about the Musée Nationale des Douanes on Mechtraveller.

Les Chartrons

The Chartrons district that housed the wine merchants of the 17^th and 18^th centuries lies south of the Bacalan. Stone buildings line the streets, the front rooms housing the living quarters of the Lynches, the Bartons, the Johnstons and other English and Irish families who dominated the lucrative trade. At the back lay their large wine warehouses.

It was a bustling, noisy district, housing barrel makers, the glass bottle factory of an Irishman, Pierre Mitchell, which belched out smoke day and night, label printers and heavy carts that transported the barrels to the harbour. According to the excellent Bruno, this was where capitalism was born.

Today it’s a delightful area of antique shops, art galleries, and small boutiques, interrupted by cafés whose pavement tables and chairs are always full. Walk along Rue Notre Dame for its churches, then turn north into the Place du Marché des Chartrons which hosts events and exhibitions. Look out for pretty houses covered in ivy or flowering bushes, that occupy the streets and hidden alleys.

We came across the small but delightful Musée du Vin et du Négoce, housed in one of Bordeaux’s oldest buildings, an Irish merchant’s house of 1720. The crowded museum takes you through vaulted cellars that, with maps, images, models, artefacts, oak barrels and wine bottles, tell the story of the city’s lucrative wine trade in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, plus the role of the négociant (merchant trader).   

America’s First Consulate

Along the river you’ll come across the old American Consulate, the first such consular post in US history, established in 1778. It’s easy to spot – a plaque commemorates Joseph Fenwick, appointed in 1790. With the French Revolution just starting in the late 18th century, Bordeaux was deemed to be a far safer and more stable city than Paris.  

Fenwick’s family had Maryland and South Carolina connections – vital for the US and its trade of Carolina gold rice, sea island cotton and raw indigo dye, shipped from the port of Charleston to Europe.

The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is the centre of Bordeaux, certainly for the Bordelaise, stretching between the Allées de Touray, Cours de l’Intendance and Cours Georges Clemenceau.

This is the area for shopping in the glass Galerie des Grands Hommes, and admiring the grand 18^th and 19^th century buildings.

The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux

In the heart of the Golden Triangle, this imposing building is a real statement of power. The ‘Temple of the Arts and Light’ was commissioned by Marshal Richelieu (grand-nephew of the famous Cardinal), and designed by the architect Victor Louis, and inaugurated on April 7, 1780. Its distinctive exterior feature is the Corinthian columns running along the façade. Other such buildings have 8 columns; the Bordeaux theatre has 12. Topping the columns 12 statues look out over the city – the nine Muses plus the Roman goddesses Juno, Venus, and Minerva.

A century later the architect Charles Garnier visited Bordeaux. He was so impressed by the very grand staircase, that he copied the design for his 19th-century grand Paris Opera. You can visit the building and see the staircase. Better still is to get to a performance of the Bordeaux opera or ballet. The acoustics are superb; and for history buffs, the theatre remains one of the oldest wooden framed opera houses still active, having survived fire and rebuilding.

Francisco Goya in Bordeaux

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes left Spain for Bordeaux in 1824, 78 years old, completely deaf and at odds with the Spanish monarchy. He died in 1828; his funeral was held in the city and he was first buried in Cimetière de la Chartreuse.

A bronze plaque marks his house at 57 Cours de l’Intendance where he lived for the last years of his life. The Spanish connection continues: the building now houses the Institut Cervantes which promotes Spanish language and culture.  

In 1888 Goya’s body was exhumed and repatriated to Spain. And here begins the mystery and the stories that Bruno tells with relish. “Goya skeleton without a head,” wrote the Spanish consul in Bordeaux to his Spanish colleague. “Please instruct me.”

Goya’s headless body was taken to the San Antonio de la Florida chapel in Madrid where it now resides under the frescoes in the dome which Goya painted in 1798.  

The skull was most possibly acquired by a phrenologist who believed that the secrets of a person’s character lay in the skull. Bruno recounts that it turned up in a local bar and became an object of pilgrimage by the painter’s admirers.

Bordeaux vs Paris

There is (again according to Bruno), a healthy rivalry between these two grand cities of France. Baron Haussmann was a prefect in Bordeaux from 1851 to 1853 and it was here that he first stamped his style. He employed town planners to create grand boulevards leading to spacious squares, transforming the centre. He left Bordeaux to transform Paris.  And once the architectural similarities are pointed out, you see the evidence everywhere.

Place des Quinconces

The Place des Quinconces is one of the largest squares in France, today the location for big fairs (the brocante fair in late April/early May is one of the best in France. At one end stands the Monument aux Girondins, a giant column commemorating the victims of the Terror during the French Revolution. It’s topped with a statue of Liberty Breaking her Chains.

Also unmissable is the extraordinary fountain, with its bronze horses pulling chariots and allegorical figures that represent liberty, justice and the Dordogne and Garonne.

The Garonne River

Bordeaux is the major port on the mighty Garonne River and marks the point where the river flows into the Gironde estuary and from there into the Bay of Biscay. The city sits between the two major wine-producing areas of Entre-deux-Mers to the east and Médoc to the west.

For centuries it marked the division between the rich on the left bank and the poor opposite. Today, as the city expands, the right bank is developing fast and has become the trendy alternative place to live, work and play.

Crossing the River to the Right Bank

We took the Bat ferry , which runs along the Garonne from the Pont de Pierre to Lormont with stops at Stalingrad, Quinconces, Hangars Médoc, and Cité du Vin. It’s as good as a mini cruise (very mini; it just takes 25 to 35 minutes to travel between its endpoints along the 25-kilometer route). It costs the same as tickets used on buses and trams. 1 trip: €1.70; 2 trips: €3.00; 10 trips: €13.70.
Check the website for detailed information.

Darwin ecosystem

Darwin ecosystem, housed in a former barracks, takes up much of the right bank. It’s a large area with restaurants, bars and cafés, a skatepark and a handful of very cool shops. Veja cleans, repairs and recycles its old shoes; go to Shop Sauvages for clothes which you have to be seen in (if aspiring to be casually chic); librairie La Géolibri sells books, posters and more, and Bric à Brac Emmaüs is the place for recycled items.

There are events and street performances all year round, so keep an eye on the Darwin website for up-to-date information.

And of course there are plenty of places to eat, many of them offering organic ingredients.  We had lunch at la Belle Saison, sitting outside and looking over to the left bank. Good value, excellent service and delicious food.

Tip: Try to avoid Mondays when many shops are closed.

Bordeaux UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2007 Bordeaux, The Port of the Moon, was given the world’s highest award for the unity of its exceptional urban heritage. Created in the 18th-century age of the Enlightenment, Bordeaux has more than 350 listed Historical Monuments. Most striking is the sheer size of the UNESCO perimeter: 1,810 hectares in total, amounting to almost half of the city’s surface area. In total Bordeaux has more protected buildings than any city after Paris.

UNESCO also recognised the history role Bordeaux has played as a city enjoying an exchange of cultural values for over 2,000 years…particularly highlighting the commercial links with Britain and the Low Lands (Holland and Belgium) from the 12th century.

Bordeaux and Britain

In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet bringing Bordeaux under English rule. For Bordeaux it was significant, heralding the start of the dominant trade of Bordeaux wine to England, helped by the special privileges that Henry offered. With 25% of the total Bordeaux output going to England, ‘claret’ (as Bordeaux red wine was called) became a staple and has remained a favorite ever since.

For more about the Plantagenets and the English connection, visit…Le Mans! It comes as a surprise (and it certainly did to me) but Le Mans has one of the largest medieval preserved quarters in France.

Where We Stayed in Bordeaux

We stayed at Villas Foch, a 5-star privately owned boutique hotel with just 12 rooms and eight suites. Housed in two adjoining 19^th-century classical stone buildings, it’s been beautifully restored and has quirky modern touches, like the spectacular chandelier that hangs in one of the grand staircases.

There’s a cosy Le Ferdinand bar, a spa and pool and a great breakfast room. Bedrooms are light and airy with impeccable bathrooms. A portrait of Foch in each room follows you around, which I found rather companionable. Villas Foch is just a few minutes from the Place des Quinconces, so it’s pretty central but feels tucked away. Rooms from €550.

Restaurants in Bordeaux

Bordeaux is one of France’s great culinary cities, up there with Paris and Lyon. You’ll find restaurants for every budget and style, but here’s a small selection of ones I have enjoyed.

Le 1925 Brasserie

Come to Le 1925 Brasserie as much for the brasserie style as the cooking which is classically based: pig’s trotter, snails, oysters and some of the best heritage tomatoes I’ve come across for starters. Mains range from prawn risotto to duck breast, beef tartare or pork confit shoulder, all served with extra favourites like French fries, home-made mash, green salad. And desserts? Chocolate mousse, sorbets or…where else can you find this these days? Crêpes Suzette flambé Grand Marnier which is prepared dramatically at your table. And the wine list is superb, selected by the owner who invariably will appear to chat to his customers.
Starters from €10 to €28; mains €25 to €35; desserts €10 to €15 (for that flaming fabulous crêpes Suzette)

Le 1925 Brasserie
4 Place des Quinconces
Tel: +33 (0)5 56 52 84 56
Website

Le 7

At the top of the Cité du Vin on the 7^th floor, the restaurant offers spectacular views over the port and beyond along with top regional cooking. Creamy burrata with sautéed artichoke, piquilio pepper sauce and basil oil was followed by slow-cooked chicken supreme then an After Eight dessert (go there to discover this one). And of course, a great wine list of 500 wines from 50 countries, with a selection of 32 wines by the glass.

Starters from €21 to €25; mains from €31 to €37; desserts from €10 to €16.
Mon-Fri lunch menu starter and main €32; 5 course dinner menu €70; childrens menu 3 courses €16 (free on Wednesday except school holidays).

Le 7
Cité du Vin
Esplanade de Pontac
Tel: +33 (0)5 64 31 05 40
Website

Le Chapon Fin

The word ‘historic’ is often over-used. But Le Chapon Fin is a restaurant that can rightly claim the description.
Le Chapon Fin opened in 1825 when much of central Bordeaux was being rebuilt in the classical style by Haussmann. In 1900 Le Chapon Fin was renovated. Perhaps renovation isn’t not the right word; an adventurous owner and equally adventurous architect brought the outside in with a rocky scene at the and a lot of plants.

The restaurant became the place to go. The Spanish King Alphonse XIII kept a private cellar here; diners included the Sultan of Morocco, the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) and artists like Sarah Bernhardt and Toulouse Lautrec as well as George Clemenceau and a host of politicians.   
Today its reputation, particularly for its wines, is in the capable hands of owner Sylvie Cazes who comes from a family of wine makers. She was very much involved in the Cité du Vin, and jointly owns the famous Château Lynch-Bages and Château Chauvin vineyards, and the company Bordeaux Saveurs which tailor makes visits to vineyards.
This is not a restaurant to go to on a casual basis; the cooking, based on the south west, includes dishes like field and garden tomatoes with various different oils, followed by chicken breast, crispy breadcrumbs and roasted broccoli. Or be more ambitious and taste a bit of history with Alphonse XIII pigeon with tobacco leaf, corn and vanilla.
Menu Marché: from 35€ to 45 €. Or make it a special occasion with the historic menu whose dishes are inspired by significant dates from 1825 to 2024.  €78 to €98 .

Le Chapon Fin
5 rue Montesquieu
Tel: +33 05 56 79 10 10
Website

Getting to Bordeaux

From Paris by train: The TGV is direct and takes 2 hours from Paris.
From the UK: By plane: BA, Easyjet and AirFrance fly from London and regional cities to Bordeaux.

Take the tram from the airport to city centre

Getting around Bordeaux

The city centre is very walkable with pedestrian areas throughout. The tram system runs throughout Bordeaux, using a unique ground power system so you’re not distracted by overhead wires. It runs from 5am to midnight or 1 a.m. depending on the day. There are regular buses.
Bordeaux Tourism website

Bordeaux Tourist Office

The Bordeaux Tourist Office can help with all your queries, from hotel bookings to guided tours.
12 cours du XXX juillet
33080 Bordeaux
+33 (0)5 56 00 66 00
Website
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am-5pm

More about the Bordeaux Region

The French Atlantic Coast
The Glorious Vendée Department

AND...
Great Rivers of France

Food Festivals of France

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