Le Lion-d'Angers / Angers
After the picture-postcard equestrian grounds at L’Isle Briand, with its château and national stud farm, plus the Mayenne and Oudon confluence, you cross the low-lying ends of several river valleys that form one of the most exceptional areas of wetland in Europe, going right up to Angers, a famed historic Plantagenet city. Up to that town’s Pont Jean Moulin bridge, the rural atmosphere remains almost untouched.
Gradients and elevation
Road types
Surface
Cycle route
You follow the towpath beside the Oudon, then the Mayenne, up to the bridge at Grez-Neuville. Continue along the Mayenne’s east bank, following a provisional route, signposted in yellow, along quiet roads up to the bridge on D 768 at Montreuil-Juigné. Next, at Cantenay’s bridge, join the Mayenne’s west-bank towpath up to the confluence with the Sarthe River. Finally, join the way along the quays beside the short Maine River up to Angers.
Note that the surface is not tarmacked between the bridge at Cantenay-Epinard and the confluence of the Mayenne and Sarthe Rivers.
The route is signposted with yellow signs between Grez-Neuville and Montreuil-Juigné.
Links
Link to Cantenay-Epinard bike's area.
Just before reaching the ferry crossing at L’île St-Aubin, a bit north of Angers, a small road enables you to head directly from the towpath to the major family-oriented plant-life theme and adventure park, Terra Botanica.
Tourist Offices
SNCF train services
Angers train station: TGV high-speed services and TER regional services, line 5 Nantes > Angers > Tours > Orléans
Line 19 Angers > Saumur > Tours
Line 29 Laval > Angers
Don’t miss
Le Lion-d’Angers: home to the reputed national stud farm and hippodrome of L’Isle-Briand
Grez-Neuville: river port; large mill and lake; St-Martin de Vertou Church
Port-Albert: traditional riverside summer restaurant, or guinguette
Île St-Aubin: small ferry and exhibition on the local wetlands at the traditional, restored Maison de l’île
Angers: château and medieval Apocalypse Tapestries; Musée de la Tapisserie Contemporaine Jean-Lurçat; Musée des Beaux-Arts; Collégiale Saint-Martin, turned into a museum of religious artefacts; Terra Botanica(park on the theme of plants); river port
