Loire superstar

CLIMBING the twisting staircase of Laval’s medieval castle is not for the faint-hearted. the restaurants seemingly open between midday and 2pm.

It’s a slower pace of life, where families are welcomed and food is enjoyed. For example, the L’Epicurien restaurant at our stylish hotel, Perier du Bignon, is all chandeliers and silver service.

But the vibe is relaxed, with the baby welcome to sleep beside us in his buggy while we dined on asparagus and poached eggs, lamb cutlets and creamy local cheese.

Hoping to recreate this feast, we headed to Rue Charles Landelle beside the castle, home to the market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. You can buy everything from fragrant strawberries and fresh fish to bras and beds.

It is quintessentially French but we Brits can take a bit of credit for Laval’s loveliness, it turns out.

English armies occupied the town during the Hundred Years War but when they were eventually forced to withdraw they burned most of it to the ground. “Sore losers,” laughs our guide. But this enabled the locals to rebuild better and stronger.

The most famous local is artist Henri Rousseau, known for his bold, childlike canvasses of jungle scenes and wild animals.

Peaceful

Born into a poor family who lived in La Porte Beucheresse – the only one of the five 13th-century gates to Laval still standing – he moved to Paris but was never able to live off his paintings.

After his death, Rousseau’s more famous friends, such as Picasso, pushed for his talents to be recognised. He was buried in Laval’s delightful Jardin de la Perrin.

You can see the movement Rousseau inspired back at the castle. As well as offering guided history tours, it houses the Musée d’Art Naïf, a varied and