51 Properties for sale in Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France

Bisected by the River Loire, this department in central Pays-de- la-Loire is highly agricultural. Set between Paris and the Atlantic coast, Maine-et-Loire has the largest share of the Loire Valley vineyards and 64% of the entire department is given over to farming. Key towns include Saumur, built of elegant pale stone, and textile capital Cholet in the south. A rural idyll of vineyards, châteaux and troglodyte dwellings, the department is popular with tourists, however, it is economically dynamic too, with important engineering, science and research sectors.

CAPITAL: ANGERS The birthplace of the Plantagenet dynasty and capital of the Anjou province, Angers was the stage for some of the most important events in the country’s history. A green-leaning city with a medieval heart, its highlights include the St-Maurice cathedral and the longest medieval tapestry in the world, the Apocalypse Tapestry.