This town in the Pays de Loire was caught up in the French Revolution worse than any other in the country.
There was a cataclysmic battle here in 1793 when much of Cholet burned down. The battlefield has been marked with an orientation table, and the municipal museum will recount the battle and introduce the protagonists. But that is also only one chapter in Cholet’s story: The town is also one of the major French textile producers, making handkerchiefs for all French and you can contact this heritage at a restored factory. Beyond that, there are two picturesque lakes, and many hectares of parkland for walks, watersports, and picnics. Discover the best things to do in Cholet.
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1. Musée du Textile et de la Mode
For a thorough overview of Cholet's historic textile industry, look no further than this museum in an old industrial launderette. The atmospheric factory buildings are from 1881, and inside are galleries that recount almost a thousand years of spinning, dyeing, and weaving in Cholet.
There are historic looms that you can see in action on demonstrations, and displays paying tribute to the countless weavers who contributed to a nationally-renowned industry. You can also watch stylish performances of contemporary textile art, as well as the final workshop in town to make the red Cholet handkerchief.
2. Musée d’Art et d’Histoire
This region saw some of the worst fightings during the French Revolutionary Wars, and in 1793 the Battle of Cholet was fought between Republican and Royalist forces.
The Museum of History Museum goes into detail about the War at the Vendée, introducing some military players of this period as the charismatic rebellious leader Jacques Cathelineau.
There are also letters, decorations, and paintings of Duchess Berry, Henri's mother, Count Chambord, who eventually had a legitimate claim to the French crown. In the art galleries are works of many names that Baroque art aficionados may know, such as Antoine Coypel, Charles André van Loo and Giovanni Battista Salvi.
3. Parc Oriental de Maulévrier
As you’ll see, Cholet is a town with many enchanting parks. But if there’s one that you need to see before the rest it’s this Japanese garden on the southeast shore of the Lac du Verdon. This park was designed in the early 20th century by Parisian architect Alexandre Marcel.
He had a love of oriental styles and recreated Cambodia’s Khmer temple for the Paris Expo in 1900. The Parc Oriental de Maulévrier was plotted on the grounds of the Château Colbert and is the largest Japanese garden in the country.
There are 300 species of plants, displaying bonsais and Japanese porcelain, as well as a temple, water features and a decorative bridge.
4. Parc du Champ de Bataille Cholet
Standing on this hillock looking down on Cholet’s commercial and industrial estates it can be hard to imagine cannon smoke and muskets firing.
But right here, a core chapter of the French Revolution was broadcast on October 17, 1793. The Republicans defeated the Royalists here, and almost 12,000 people lost their lives at this mundane-looking place.
At the top of the hill, there was a large directional table showing where the different armies were based, how they attacked and who was responsible for them. In addition, there is a memorial cross that marks the site of the battle and an 18th-century Gribeauval law by the way.
5. Église du Sacré-Cœur
Not as old as it seems, Cholet Lam Sacré-Cœur Church was actually built in the early 1940s in Neo-Byzantine style. But although not an ancient monument, there are a few things that make the church worthwhile.
The first is the appearance because it is unlike any other church in Vendée or Maine-et-Loire.
Another is that it was built entirely from materials found or made in the region: There are local red bricks, an orange slate known as Pineau, pink granite from Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges and blue granite from Vezins.
Also gratifying to know is that the church was funded entirely by donations from Cholet’s citizens.
6. Cholet’s Menhirs
There are several prehistoric megaliths around the city, hewn, carried and placed here by human hands thousands of years ago.
The tourist office can give you directions to each one: The most noteworthy is the Grand Menhir de la Garde, which you can’t miss as it’s right in front of the old ramparts a short walk down from the town hall.
It’s little brother, the Petit Menhir de la Garde is a few hundred meters away, and is only “small” by comparison as it is still more than 3 meters in height. And then, in the yacht park was the Pierre Plate de la Pochetière, 2.3 meters high, and like the other two, it was recognized as a historical monument of France.
7. Église Notre-Dame
There’s no avoiding this Neo-Gothic church and its lofty towers, which are the second-tallest in the Angers diocese. They climb to 65 meters and are roughened by Gothic-style pinnacles.
The church is another that looks older than it is and was only finished in 1887. Its predecessor was a victim of the Revolution, and even though it escaped fire and cannonballs it was used as a warehouse and collapsed through neglect.
But despite being a homage to medieval art rather than reality, Norman-style stained glass, windows, and bodies boast master craftsmanship.
8. Small Sights around Town
Cholet has a multitude of smaller sights that can be rolled together on an educational jaunt around the town. Here, a couple to check out: The large public garden is above the town near the tourist office that used to be Cholet Ins Castle.
This was destroyed during the War at the Vendée, but you can still see parts of the outer walls and climb on them to admire the town. Then, on the Rue des Vieux-Greniers, there was a rare building that went through an endless battle.
Tour du Grenier à Sel is a 16th-century tower for storing taxable salt, with a bell-shaped turret and a weathered but noble doorway.
9. Lac de Ribou
This artificial lake was created when the Moine and Trézon Rivers were destroyed in 1958. And it wasn’t long before Cholet’s residents realized the leisure and relaxation opportunities of the 90-hectares of clean water.
Bridleways, biking tracks, and hiking paths encircle the lake and weave their way through the forest. The CISPA activity center has all the gear and expertise for kids to take part in archery, sailing, pedal boating, and canoeing.
But there’s also the Raymond Russon tourist center, with tennis courts, a mini-golf course, children’s playgrounds, and a volleyball court.
10. Parc de Moine
Cholet has reserved more than seven hectares of green space on the banks of the Moine River just south of the center of town. A theme park is a place for relaxing after lunch and meeting friends.
The paths meander next to the river and under the foliage of mature trees, edged by lawns, bushes, and flowerbeds. If you like you can ramble in peace and greenery all the way to the Lac du Ribou, four kilometers from the center.
There are pétanque courts, a skate-park, and football pitches all laid out as part of a big regeneration plan in the 1970s.
More ideals for you: Top 9 things to do in Chieti
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