The Scottish Mail on Sunday

Pit-stops and palaces

Giles Milton discovers feasts for the eyes, ears – and stomach – in the Pays de la Loire

- For further informatio­n on La Nuit des Chimères, visit www. nuitdeschi­meres.com, for Le Mans Classic www.lemansclas­sic.com. For more informatio­n on Angers, visit angersloir­etourisme.com and for the Anjou Velo Vintage festival see anjou-velo-vintage.com.

THE Pays de la Loire has long been the most prestigiou­s region of France, home to dukes and counts for longer than anyone can remember. This is where the super-rich of the Middle Ages built palaces of such grandeur that they required armies of servants to run them.

First prize for opulence goes to the Château of the Dukes of Brittany in Nantes, a vast fortified pile complete with moat and battlement­s – the perfect place to bring young children.

Saumur, 50 miles to the east, also boasts a towering edifice and has an equally prestigiou­s pedigree (it was remodelled by King Henry II of England). And then there’s the lofty Château de Brissac – still privately owned – whose seven floors once made it the tallest chateau in France.

You could spend days visiting the castles of this historic region, which stretches inland from the Atlantic coast to Le Mans. But the Pays de la Loire is not just about big houses and grand addresses. There are historic cities and towns – Nantes, Angers and Le Mans are three of the most enticing – and countless villages with family-run bistros serving local specialiti­es and cheeses, such as the creamy Port Salut and smoke-flavoured Cure Nantais.

The latter takes its name from Nantes, the biggest city in the Pays de la Loire and the best overall introducti­on to the area. The castle is the obvious draw, but don’t miss the Gothic cathedral with its sumptuous tomb of Duke Francois II, the last ruler of Brittany.

The route to heaven is littered with temptation­s and one of them – for hungry sightseers – is Nantes’ La Cigale brasserie, a lavish fin de siecle restaurant with one of the most stunning interiors in France. It also serves exquisite food: pan-fried scallops, juicy Charolais steaks and organic snails are just some of the perennials.

The city of Angers, some 45 miles to the north-east of Nantes, has a history that’s equally rich. The fortified castle there is built on a massive scale and home to the 100-yard-long Book Of Revelation­s, a famously graphic tapestry depicting the end of the world.

Another of Angers’ attraction­s is the Terra Botanica on the northern edge of town – a theme park devoted entirely to plants. You can wander through various habitats of the world, including a glade of living prehistori­c trees.

While you’re in Angers, don’t miss the Cointreau factory tour, where you’ll learn how the local townsfolk mixed two types of orange peel – sweet and bitter – and transforme­d it into one of France’s most distinctiv­e liqueurs.

Visiting the Pays de la Loire is not just about cities and towns. There are also local festivals – dozens of them – that take place each spring and summer. One of my favourites is La Nuit des Chimères in Le Mans, in which the facades of the city’s historic buildings are transforme­d into gigantic projection screens, using powerful lights to bring the buildings to life.

There are seven projection sites in total, with the most impressive being the one that uses the cathedral of St Julian. Its towers and flying buttresses are turned into an extraordin­ary fantasylan­d.

Le Mans is also host to the Le Mans Classic, a celebratio­n of classic cars (designed to complement Le Mans 24). It features on-track races of historic cars, viewing of rare classics and, for the very wealthy, an auction.

IF YOU prefer two wheels to four, then head to either Angers or Saumur, both of which will be hosting key stages of the Tour de France. In Saumur, the route passes right through the town centre, setting off on the morning of July 5. If you favour cycling at a more sedate pace, the town also hosts Anjou Vélo Vintage, a two-day vintage bike festival (June 18-19) with four, guided retro cycle rides ranging from 18 miles to 80 miles. The festival will also have almost 100 exhibitor stands and thousands of enthusiast­s.

The Pays de la Loire is huge – twice the size of Devon. You can’t expect to see it all in one trip, but no matter. You’ll simply have to come back next year.

 ??  ?? GRANDEUR: The Château de Saumur, left, in the Pays de la Loire, home to Cointreau, far left, and Anjou’s vintage cycle festival, below
GRANDEUR: The Château de Saumur, left, in the Pays de la Loire, home to Cointreau, far left, and Anjou’s vintage cycle festival, below

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