Maine-et-Loire, Department in Pays de la Loire, France
Maine-et-Loire is a department in the Pays de la Loire region of western France, stretching across river valleys and agricultural plains. The territory divides into four districts centered around Angers, the main city.
The territory formed in 1790 during the French Revolution from parts of the former province of Anjou. The current name was adopted in December 1791, replacing an earlier designation used for just over a year.
The name combines two rivers that meet in the capital, where locals still gather along the banks on summer evenings. Winemakers across the territory open their cellars to visitors, sharing techniques passed down through generations of families.
The area borders eight other territories and connects well by train or car, with Angers serving as a central starting point. The landscape shifts between river valleys and gentle hills, which means longer drives between individual towns.
At one point the territory touches a neighboring department along a stretch of only 19 meters, making it the shortest border between French departments. This oddity resulted from historical boundary drawings along old provincial lines.
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Fontevraud Abbey
57.6 km
Zoo de La Flèche
48.6 km
Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers
62.2 km
Château d'Angers
3.8 km
Apocalypse Tapestry
3.7 km
Château de Clermont
57 km
Musée des Blindés
46 km
Château de Brissac
15.6 km
Chinon Nuclear Power Plant
63.1 km
Terra Botanica
6.1 km
Château de Saumur
45.3 km
Angers Bridge
3.6 km
Château de Tiffauges
62 km
Château de Tigné
30.9 km
Castle of Brézé
51.2 km
Angers Cathedral
4.1 km
Château de Montsoreau
56.4 km
Zoo de Doué
36.7 km
Château du Plessis-Bourré
17.3 km
Château du Lude
61.1 km
Château de Serrant
11.5 km
Château de Challain-la-Potherie
39.2 km
Musée Louis de Funès
55.2 km
Château de Clisson
65.4 km
Parc Oriental de Maulévrier
51 km
Maison d'Adam
4.1 km
Chapelle Saint-Louis de Champ des Martyrs
4.2 km
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