This impressive black-stone château, formerly the seat of power for the counts and dukes of Anjou, looms above the river, ringed by battlements and 17 watchtowers. The star of the show is the stunning Tenture de l’Apocalypse (Apocalypse tapestry), a 104m-long series of tapestries commissioned by Louis I, Duke of Anjou, around 1375 to illustrate the Book of Revelation. It dramatically recounts the story of the Day of Judgment from start to finish, complete with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Battle of Armageddon and the coming of the Beast.
Look out for graphic depictions of St Michael battling a seven-headed dragon and the fall of Babylon.
The site has been inhabited since neolithic times and some ancient excavations remain.
Audioguides (€4.50) provide useful context, and guided tours are free. That black stone? It’s actually called blue schist.
