Angers may just be the perfect place for an urban camping holiday. Nicknamed ‘the Green City’, on account of its countless parks and green spaces and set around the confluence of river after river after river. It is perhaps the only city that can offer such urban vibrancy alongside lakes, islands, nature parks and protected wildlife zones. And the biggest of these parks – found by crossing the bridge from Angers’ famously grand château and strolling a few minutes south into the Belle-Beille district – is the park of Lac de Maine. It’s here that you’ll find the setting for your almost-urban adventure.
Set in the southwest corner of the 300-acre park, Camping d’Angers has recently been taken over and rejuvenated by the Huttopia group, a conscientious brand with campsites across France where a natural feel is as important as family-friendly facilities. Mature trees populate Camping d’Angers and more have just been planted, while the hundred-odd pitches all have access to a newly refurbished wash-block and heaps of outdoor activity options, including a swimming pool, playground, table tennis tables and a volleyball court.
Cyclists are particularly in their element. The campsite is on a number of popular routes, many of which meet in and around Angers as they follow the course of the various rivers. The Loir, the Sarthe, the Mayenne, the Maine and the Loire all converge within 10km of Angers city centre and the campsite provides bike storage and basic repair equipment for those in need. For everyone else, meanwhile, you can also hire bikes from reception for a pedal around the lake or to cycle your way into town. Between the gothic cathedral (built between the 11th and 16th centuries and a national monument of France) and the massive riverside château that is home to the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the world, there are plenty of key attractions to tick off the holiday bucket list. Beyond, meanwhile, lies the UNESCO recognised reaches of the Loire Valley, the rolling vineyards of the region and the countless more château that this part of the world offers at every turn.