24 hours in Cholet and surroundings
Centre-Val de Loire - Pays de la Loire/2026
Don't get your handkerchiefs ready, you'll find them on the spot! Cholet has been the French capital of handkerchief production for three centuries. Textile production on weaving looms developed here as early as the 18th century, and the reputation of Cholet handkerchiefs grew rapidly. Although production came to a severe halt during the French Revolution, Cholet being a stronghold of the Vendée insurrection, it picked up again in the following century with the industrialization and mechanization of the looms.
In 1900, Théodore Botrel, the immortal author of La Paimpolaise, launched another of his great successes, the Mouchoir Rouge de Cholet,which further contributed to the piece' s fame. the piece's fame, as industrialistsrushed to personalizeit , as in the song, "rouge comme la cerisette" (" red as a cherry").
To the south-west of Anjou, the Mauges is an agricultural and bocage region surrounding today's Cholet , in the south of the Maine-et-Loire department, with its capital, a powerful industrial heart.Bordering on the Saumur and Anjou vineyards, it is also aprovidentialland for the curious traveller and the wine tourist. The diversification of its activities and the relative youth of its population make this sub-prefecture a dynamic town of just over 50,000 inhabitants, which has three times been named "the most sporting town in France".The Cholet Basket basketball team has been playing at the highest level for almost forty years .
The gourmet visitor will be interested in local or nearby produce, particularly poultry - duck from Challans is a neighbor, pigeon from Maulévrier is nearby - but also Vendée brioche and mogettes, the white beans found with meat and poultry dishes .
For green walks, there's no shortage of opportunities, with numerous ponds and lakes, including Etang des Noues and Lac de Ribou, and all the associated leisureactivities. more easily and more often, Choletais stroll through the beautiful Jardin du Mail, with its green spaces, water fountains, playground and petanque area. opposite the garden, don't miss the opportunity to photograph the town hall, whose bold architecture has earned it the nickname of "the typewriter". on the outskirts of town, from March to November, many visitors flockto the Parc Oriental du Maulévrier, Europe'slargest Japanese garden, with its many species and bonsais, as well as to the kitchen garden at Château Colbert, also in Maulévrier.
For cultural activities, the Musée du Textile and the Musée des Guerres de Vendéeare a must. And if youcome at the weekend, you won't want to miss the Saturday morning market on the Place des Halles. off-site, monastic shopping for products from the Bellefontaine abbey, and the sisters of the Gardes abbey in Chemillé, particularly for their jams.
