Angers with kids

Angers is an easy city for a family holiday. The centre is walkable, the big gardens have playgrounds, and the castle has everything children love. Here is what we recommend to the families who stay with us, with ideas for rainy days and a few tips for little legs and pushchairs.

The Château d’Angers, a real castle

With its walls of 17 towers striped in schist and limestone, the Château d’Angers looks just like the castle children draw. You walk round the ramparts, with views over the Maine and the city’s roofs, and you can climb to the top of the Tour du Moulin, which the château bills as the finest panorama in Angers.

In its gallery, the Apocalypse tapestry unrolls over 104 m of scenes where angels battle beasts and monsters: get the children to hunt for the strangest ones. Entry is free for under-18s. On some days the château also runs workshops for children, best booked ahead: ask the monument. Allow about two hours, a little less with young children.

For little legs, the tourist train leaves from Place Kennedy, opposite the château, from April to early November, and tours the main sights of the centre. To explore the city through play, Angers Patrimoine offers four free family trails to download, covering the historic quarter, the mosaic façades, the half-timbered houses and the Doutre.

The city-centre gardens, to let off steam

The Jardin des Plantes is an English-style garden from 1905, with a pond, small waterfalls and swans. Children will find a playground and enclosures with hens, rabbits and goats, and red squirrels are often spotted. Note that the lawns are off limits.

The Jardin du Mail, opposite the town hall, has a fountain, a carousel, a bandstand and play areas. Its long paths are perfect for learning to ride a bike.

Both gardens are 200 m from our flats, ideal for a break between visits.

Terra Botanica, the plant park

North of Angers, Terra Botanica describes itself as the only theme park in Europe devoted to plants and biodiversity. Among its gardens you will find rides such as the little plant train, the 4D adventure and the tractor-cabins of Cléamolette’s vegetable garden, as well as play areas and shows. Allow a full day.

The park opens from April until the end of the autumn half-term, with opening days that change through the season: check its calendar before you go. The easiest way there is the tram: line A towards Avrillé-Ardenne, Terra Botanica stop, then about ten minutes on foot. By car, there is a free car park at the entrance.

Lac de Maine, for summer

West of the city, the Lac de Maine park covers 220 hectares. In summer, its beach has supervised swimming from June to the end of August, in marked areas. All year round, people also come for the 5.5 km loop round the lake, on foot, by bike or on a scooter, and for the playgrounds and picnic spots.

The water sports centre is home to sailing and canoe-kayak clubs, and from March to September a riding association offers pony rides for children aged 1 to 9. The historic centre is not within walking distance: come by car, bus or bike.

When it rains

The City of Angers museums are free for under-26s, and for everyone from 5 pm to 6 pm. They also offer free tools for families visiting without a guide: an activity booklet at the natural history museum, with its minerals, fossils and stuffed animals, a weaving loom and activity booklet at the Jean-Lurçat museum, puzzles at the Musée des Beaux-Arts and a paper fortune-teller at the David d’Angers gallery. These change regularly, so ask at the front desk. The museums also run tours and workshops for children from age 2, listed in their programme.

Another idea: the Angers IceParc ice rink, in Saint-Serge, has public sessions all year round. Check the times before you go.

The Loire at Bouchemaine

At Bouchemaine, the Maine flows into the Loire. La Pointe has a fine view over the confluence, with picnic tables facing the water. From Angers you can cycle there along the Maine: 9 km on a greenway with almost no cars, suitable for beginners. Our guide to the Loire by bike from Angers covers the route.

Practical tips

• Pushchairs: the streets of the Doutre are cobbled, and the Montée Saint-Maurice, below the cathedral, is a flight of steps. In the old quarters, a baby carrier or a light pushchair is easier.
• Distances: the whole historic centre fits within a 20-minute walk. With children, allow more time and a break in the gardens.
• The tram: it saves long walks, especially to Terra Botanica or Saint-Serge.
• Seasons: Terra Botanica, the tourist train and swimming at Lac de Maine only run in season. Check the dates before planning your day.

Where to stay as a family

Our two flats are in the very centre, 200 m from the Jardin des Plantes and the Jardin du Mail, and each sleeps up to 4.

Coup de cœur Angevin is a duplex flat on the 3rd floor, with no lift. The living room and kitchen are downstairs and the bedroom upstairs, up an inside staircase to keep an eye on with toddlers. A baby cot is provided on request (the baby counts as a guest), and the board games, washer-dryer and full kitchen make family life easier.

Le Cocon Angevin is a one-bedroom flat on the 2nd floor, with no lift, with a separate bedroom and a living-room sofa that turns into a real double bed.

With no lift in either, it pays to travel light. For the rest of your stay, see our itinerary for Angers in 2 days and our guide to where to stay in Angers.