Bouchemaine (France)

Bouchemaine is a Loire RIver cruise port and town in France's Maine-et-Loire department, located approx 7 km (4 mi) from the department's capital Angers and approx 270 km (170 mi) from Paris City. The town has total area 20 km2 (8 mi2) and population around 6000.

Popular places to visit nearby Bouchemaine include Aubigne-sur-Layon at 26 km (16 mi) and Bauge at 40 km (25 mi), as well as Angers, the capital of Anjou - historic French province, home to Plantagenet dynasty, and Cadre Noir - the famous school of horsemanship in Saumur city.

Travelers can also visit the chateaux of Loire Valley, starting with Chateau Azay-le-Rideau that is set on an island in Indre River and the splendid gardens of Chateau de Villandry. Chateau d'Usse is also worth seeing, with its conical spires and turrets which are thought to have inspired Charles Perrault (1628 – 1703) to write one of the first fairy tales, The Sleeping Beauty.