City: Pays de la Loire
Top Things to do in Pays de la Loire
Top Hotels in Pays de la Loire
- 1. Chateau du Boisniard
- 2. Hotel & Spa Les Roches Noires
- 3. Hotel La Villa en l'Ile
- 4. Atlantic Hotel & Spa
- 5. Hotel Voltaire Opera Nantes Centre
- 6. Radisson Blu Hotel, Nantes
- 7. Hotel Anne d'Anjou, The Originals Collection
- 8. Golden Tulip Nantes Carquefou
- 9. Hotel Anne d'Anjou, The Originals Collection
- 10. Hotel les Embruns
What to do and see in Pays de la Loire, France: The Best Historic Sites
Pays de la Loire (French pronunciation: [pe.i də la lwaʁ]; Breton: Broioù al Liger, meaning Loire Country) is one of the 18 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" (métropoles d'équilibre)¹.
Restaurants in Pays de la Loire
1. Maison des Vins d'Anjou et de Saumur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25 reviews
This winery produces some of the most renowned wines in the entire Loire Valley.
2. Chateau de Brissac
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,036 reviews
Brissac is among the most impressive of all the Loire Valley Castles ! It is nicknamed " The Giant of the Loire Valley" !! And it is the home of the 13th duke of Brissac. It treasures inside a beautiful collection of ancient paintings and fine furnitures . The visit also includes the discovery of a unique private theater dedicated to Opera by a duchess of Brissac in the late XIX th century . Visitors will enjoy a wine tasting in the cellars of the wines produced on the estate ( especially the Rose of Anjou ) A beautiful landscaped gardened park of 200 are invites visitors to stroll alongside 5 romantic "promenade" ...
Reviewed By AliceR2684 - London, United Kingdom
A lovely chateau to visit, with beautiful grounds. Well worth it. We were able to walk around the open parts of the chateau, whilst reading a written guide in English. The grounds were very well kept and it was extremely peaceful during our visit. A lovely place for a long or short walk.
3. Cathedrale de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,547 reviews
This Gothic cathedral features a high nave and many tombs, including that of François II.
Reviewed By johnmN5785EK - Lyon, France
The construction of Nantes Cathedral, officially called La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul (or simply Cathédrale Saint-Pierre in the vicinity) took more than 400 years to complete. Begun in 1434, it took 457 years to finish, finally reaching completion in 1891. Since 1862 it has been listed as a historic monument in France. The striking white stone is especially impressive and the rich colors of the stained-glass windows make for a striking contrast. The architecture in this classic Gothic cathedral, with the imposing main nave and aisles, great organ and the immense inner column all combine to create a Gothic atmosphere inside the cathedral and make it even more memorable than others, such as Note Dame and Quimper. The beautiful Tomb of Francis II, the Duke of Brittany, and his second wife, Marguerite de Foix the parents of local heroine Anne of Bretagne, with its haunting sculptures of white Carrara marble is considered to be a French renaissance masterpiece. Also noteworthy is the tomb of Gen. Juchault de Lamoricière, a Nantes native and a great African campaigner; sculptor Paul Dubois completed the tomb in 1879. The cathedral's crypt, dating from the 11th century, shelters a museum of religions. The Cathedral was bombed heavily on June 15th, 1944; this necessitated a prolonged restoration which was almost completed in January 1972 when a disgruntled labourer started a massive conflagration with a blow torch. The restoration is nearing complete; an attempt was made to reconstruct the decor of the west façade to the state it was originally in the fifteenth century. This restoration proceeds on the other facades. The cathedral's crypt, dating from the 11th century, shelters a museum of religions. All in all well worth a visit.
4. Chateau de Serrant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 416 reviews
5. Abbaye Royale de L'Epau
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 194 reviews
L’Abbaye Royale de l’Épau constitue l’un des plus beaux exemples de l’architecture cistercienne en France. En 1229, Bérengère de Navarre, veuve de Richard Cœur de Lion, décide de fonder cette abbaye aux portes du Mans, où elle sera enterrée un an plus tard. À la Révolution, l’abbaye, presque désertée par les moines depuis le XVIIIème siècle, est vendue comme bien national à un industriel. Transformée alors en exploitation agricole, l'abbaye a connu de nombreuses vicissitudes avant son rachat par le Département de la Sarthe en 1958. Un vaste programme de restauration, toujours en cours, lui donne un second souffle faisant de l'abbaye un des hauts lieux culturels de la Sarthe. L’abbaye accueille également les séances de l’assemblée départementale dont elle est le siège depuis les années 70. Dernièrement, les recherches du Père Michel Niaussat, moine cistercien écrivain, mettent en lumière le caractère royal de l’édifice. L’abbaye de l’Epau devient Abbaye Royale de l’Epau en mars 2017.
Reviewed By rayraynewby - Bury St. Edmunds, United Kingdom
An interesting attraction just outside Le Mans but very easy to get to by public transport. It was very quiet on the day I visited and was I given a tablet guide in English which was very helpful. There is a small cafe serving very good cakes and sandwiches. The abbey contains the tomb of Queen Berengaria, the wife of Richard The Lionheart. They also had a display in the grounds of photographs of families from around the world which I also found very interesting.
6. Chateau du Plessis-Bourre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 318 reviews
Reviewed By NeedToSeeItAll - Perth, Australia
We had our wedding at the Chateau, and it was truly the wedding of fairy-tale dreams. The location is stunning, the building is magnificent, the staff were helpful and accommodating, and it was an easy and very reasonable hiring process. I am so surprised at how little attention this chateau gets compared with other better known ones around the area, as it boasts some really spectacular features like a complete moat and working drawbridge, and has the classic look of a romantic venue. Sensational!
7. Chateau de Lassay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 123 reviews
Perfectly preserved XVth century fortified castle with 8 towers, ramparts and drawbridges, in the charming old town of Lassay-les-Châteaux.
8. Entre Cours et Jardins - Cite Plantagenet
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 743 reviews
Reviewed By perreobo - Orsa, Sweden
Was traveling by car and would not stop, me and my company talked about what we saw and thought it really was an unethical city. Then swung in a cross and a magnificent cathedral stood before us it was incredible as from any fairy tale with its pinnacles and special architecture. We parked to check out the cathedral itself and were going to walk around it to see it from all directions. In the back compared to where we parked our car, a fantastic part of Le Mans was revealed, the really old part of the city architecture was from the Middle Ages and a century ago, we stayed much longer than we would but then we had 300 kilometers to our destination we were obliged to leave but would have liked to stay at least one night to see everything worth seeing. Very good!
9. Nieul-sur-l'Autise
10. Chateau de Breze
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,227 reviews
Visit and guided tours of the chateau and grounds that have had castles since 1063. Open 10 - 6:00 pm (18H) everyday during spring and summer.
Reviewed By NeedToSeeItAll - Perth, Australia
We visited the chateau as a group of 40 travelling around central France. We had booked in to do wine tasting from the estate's production, and a self-guided visit of the chateau. It is an absolutely beautiful and impressive site with amazing history and great variety. The wines were varied, and some were quite impressive given how recently the business has been revitalised. Hopefully they can get back to their historic greatness as a truly exceptional producer.
