National Geographic Traveller UK April 2020

Guinguettes — the riverside bars
that had their heyday in the 18th,
19th and early 20th centuries
— have made a comeback across
France in recent years and, as
Angers sits astride or near to four
rivers, the city has more than its
fair share of the fun. In the past,
these outdoor hubs were scenes
of revelry and cabaret, but their
21st-century incarnations ofer
this and much more. Many indulge
a new-found love of street food
(the French interpretation means
‘good food’, served fast and
conveniently), while others are
proper restaurants. All Angers’
guinguettes feature shows and
activities — from Bollywood
dancing to country music
— throughout summer. To ind
out what’s on ofer, check the
individual guinguette’s website or
Facebook page for activities.

LE HERON CARRE
Being close to the city centre,
Le Heron Carre enjoys a superb

view of the chateau from the

opposite riverbank. By day, it’s

popular with families enjoying

the surrounding park, and

in the evenings the varied

entertainment includes bongo

drum troupes and salsa dancing

lessons. facebook.com/heroncarre

LA CABANE DU CHAT QUI PÊCHE

This photogenic ‘hut of the

ishing cat that’ is set on the

banks of the Mayenne river and

is a good place to head for if

you’re cycling upstream from

Angers. Ater a lunch of typical

Loire dishes — perch with

beurre blanc sauce or Cointreau

creme brulee — kick back in the

orange deckchairs and enjoy the

sunshine. Sunday aternoons

see DJs playing chill out tracks.

lacabaneduchatquipeche.com

AU FIL DE L’EAU

The sleepy village of Écoulant

used to be a much livelier place in

the 19th century — back then it

was home to several guinguettes

that welcomed revellers who’d

come from Angers along the

Sarthe river by boat. Follow the

same course, cycling the towpath

or on a cruise, then take a table

outside the rustic hut that looks

across the grassy banks towards

the river. If you’re feeling peckish,

there are charcuterie platters and

tapas, plus live music at weekends.

facebook.com/aufildeleauecouflant

GUINGUETTE DE PORT-THIBAULT

Of all the guinguettes that are

dotted in and around the city,

the idyllic location of Guinguette

de Port-Thibault is hard to beat.

Near the village of Saint-Gemmes-

sur-Loire, it opened in July 2019

and overlooks the Loire. The

menu is particularly good, with

various dishes such as pâté and

mushroom risotto as highlights.

Summer nights see diferent

bands take the stage, as well as

activities like samba lessons.

guinguettedeportthibault.fr

DAY THREE GUINGUETTES

MORE INFO

Château d’Angers.

chateau-angers.fr

Nature is Bike.

natureisbike.com

Guinguette de

Port-Thibault.

guinguettedeportthibault.fr

Cointreau Distillery.

cointreau.com

Loire Odyssée river cruises.

loire-odyssee.fr

tourisme.destination

-angers.com

HOW TO DO IT

Fly to Nantes with EasyJet

or Tours with Ryanair, then

take the train to the city’s

main station Angers

Saint-Laud. Hotel 21 Foch

offers doubles from €89

(£75), room only. For budget

stays, the Angers City Kamp

has self-catering cabins

from €69 (£58) a night.

easyjet.com ryanair.com

sncf.com 21foch.fr

citykamp.com

NAME OF THE ROSÉ

The region around

Angers is known as

‘the Anjou’ and has had

historical significance

from the Roman era

through to the Middle

Ages. Now the word

is most often used to

refer to the region’s

wines, of which the

rosé is best known

A busy evening at the popular

Guinguette de Port-Thibault

IMAGE: PORT THIBAULT

52 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

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