Palais Briau Hotel, Varades

This château began life as a medieval fortress and was rebuilt in a Renaissance style in the 16th century, taking over a century to complete. It is now a private residence and home to the Prince and Princess of Merode who have kept it furnished in a traditional manner. Inside the library contains more than 12,000 books and the kitchen has over 200 pieces of brass. They run discovery and decorative arts tours of this lovely château.

To show how important the medicinal plant sector activity is in the district, a group of producers decided to create a garden of medicinal plants using the garden of Chemillé's town hall. Its name, Camifolia, is inspired by the camomile which was the first medicinal plant to be introduced into the area. Chemillé, where 60 per cent of the Pays de la Loire production is concentrated, is the first French centre for medicinal plants with more than 70 species cultivated over approximately 600 hectares.

For lovers of heritage the building of this château reveals, perhaps more than others, the happy marriage between a fortress and royal residence. In the mid-15th century, Louis de Beaumont undertook the reconstruction of the building, which was partially destroyed after the Hundred Years' War. The thick walls are pierced by windows, while turrets and staircases break the monotony of the façades. The charm of the house is expressed in the beautiful carved balconies and wooden tribune of the chapel. The Gothic château is one of the most beautiful in the region. It is the location of the annual Festival d'Anjou.

Visit this old slate mine near Angers which paints the life and work of pit workers, a traditional profession in the region. It includes an underground tour of the mines, 130 metres below ground, on a small mining train.

This historic 15th century château of the Goulaine family has been producing wine for centuries and it is unknown when they first sold it commercially. You can wander around its rich rooms, see an exhibition dedicated to the biscuit Lu and tour the butterfly house.

One of the most incredible fortress-style châteaux in the Loire Valley, the Château d'Angers overlooks the Maine river. Though earlier buildings on the site were inhabited by the Romans, today's château was built in the 14th century for Louis IX. In the 14th century, its owner commissioned the Apocalypse Tapestry depicting stories from the medieval Book of Revelation; at 140 metres it was the longest tapestry in the world. Approximately 100 metres of it remain and are on display in the château which houses a museum containing of the oldest medieval tapestries in the world.