Bouchemaine is a town of Maine-et-Loire, in the Pays de la Loire region, southwest of Angers which it borders.
The vast territory of 20 km² borders the south of the lake of Maine, and runs along the Maine which flows into the Loire at the level of the city.
The locality was born from the merger in 1792 of the parishes of Saint-Aubin de Pruniers on the hillside overlooking Maine and Saint-Symphorien de Bouchemaine at the confluence of Maine and Loire. The latter already integrated the village of La Pointe to the activity related to river traffic.
Shared in the Middle Ages between the abbeys of Saint-Aubin and Ronceray, the land is broken up under the old regime when the Angevin nobility has residential areas surrounded by cultivated land and trees.
In the seventeenth century, the bishops of Angers erect their second home, nicknamed the abbey. Village of sailors, the Pointe is then also more and more popular. The site even looks like a seaside resort on the edge of the twentieth century.
In the meantime, a port had been built, the river trade replacing the income related to salt control.
Bouchemaine has seen its population increase (from 1,200 inhabitants in the 1960s to 6,500 today), in the wake of the agglomeration of Angevin, but its heritage and its environment have not been affected. The city remains a green lung lined with sites conducive to vacation and recreation.
Bouchemaine belongs to the perimeter of the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has the label City and Crafts of Art.
The city has several classified and interesting buildings that can mark a heritage discovery walk.
We can observe (if not visit) the castle of Petit-Serrant (eighteenth century) or the manor of Louzil (fifteenth and eighteenth). The church of Saint-Symphorien, whose oldest elements date from the eleventh century and that of Saint-Aubin, on Pruniers, are also worth a look.
We will not forget the Pruniers Bridge, erected in 1908 for the passage of the railway.
At the Pointe, the quays as the rue des Saulniers testify to the past of the city where we paid the grant on the salt then was popular with Angevins eager to have nice second homes with pretty and parks overlooking the river. The chapel of Notre-Dame de Ruzebouc, a former salt loft dating back to the 16th century, has a superb structure.
Heritage and culture are also combined with the Abbey, the former residence of bishops erected in 1664 converted into a place of exhibitions. To see the passage, his basement, 18 m long, with shale walls and five arches stone tufa. Information on +33 2 41 22 21 51.
Also on the cultural level, the Culture Boxes (BAC) so called for their vocation and because they walk along the street of the ferry, include a media library, an exhibition hall and a theater. For varied programming, inquire at +33 2 41 22 21 51 and for animations (readings, workshops) proposed to the media library, contact +33 2 41 22 20 05.
Regarding the environmental heritage, the city has no less than 40 hectares of green space, we will enjoy the site of Piverdière, which includes an orchard, an original labyrinth (bushes and shrubs with berries) and meadows flowered or maintained by eco-grazing (Sologne sheep). At the top of the site, a belvedere awaits visitors, who can then return to the banks of the Maine via a wooded path.
In terms of richness of flora and fauna, the confluence of Maine and Loire is a refuge for animal species that have become rare (beavers, partridges). You can also visit the regional nature reserve of Basses-Brosses and Chevalleries southwest of the town: 90 hectares to the protected ecosystem in a landscape of marshes and grove.
All these sites can be included in hiking or mountain biking, including the banks of the Loire. On the Pointe, an interpretive trail has even been designed. Documentation and information on +33 2 41 23 50 00.
Note that a river shuttle also allows you to discover the city and the ecological wealth of the Loire in an original way. Contact the +33 2 41 23 50 00.
On the edge of Maine, sports enthusiasts can enjoy the facilities of the water sports center which serves as a starting point for canoe trips. Information on +33 2 41 22 20 66.
Finally, one can prefer a part... of fishing (to inform +33 2 41 87 57 09) or of tennis (to reserve a court with the complex of Artaud in +33 2 41 77 24 91).
At the beginning of June, over four days, the Bouche à Oreille festival is devoted to jazz and attracts a large audience. The concerts are mainly programmed on the Pointe site.
On the last Sunday of June, the city which counts about twenty craftsmen organizes "At the Point of the art", where exhibitions, workshops and animations put in value these different know-how.
Several markets finally make it possible to apprehend the richness of the soil. Sunday mornings on Noah's day, on Thursday morning square Saulaies and on the parking lot of the Petit Vivier shopping center and from June to September, especially for holidaymakers who appreciate this small seaside resort... on the Loire, a market is held Monday from 5 pm to 9 pm in the city center.
