Cholet and its Textile museum

Come to Choletais! Witness of the Wars of Vendée, cradle of textiles, the Choletais discover themselves through its architectural, artisanal, artistic heritage and of course its boutiques and brand stores.

Geography: In the Pays de La Loire region, in the Maine-et-Loire department, Cholet is located a few kilometers from Vendée, Loire-Atlantique and Deux-Sèvres, a detour on the vacation route!
History: Cholet, a secular history, an original heritage, and as a heritage, the memory of those who built the city. From Cauletum to the sportiest town in France, from Foulques III Nera to Antoinette de Magnelais, from the weavers in the cellar to those in the workshop, from the red handkerchief to the Vendée wars, from the heroic 77th infantry regiment to its fascinating museums, Cholet and its history will never cease to amaze you.
Heritage: At the bend of cobbled streets, dead ends and boulevards, Cholet's heritage is revealed, original, rich and varied. The stroll, of the typical weavers' houses in stately homes, of Haussmanian buildings in contemporary quarters, testifies to the astonishing vitality which characterizes the city.
Its traditions: A little story of a great legend: the handkerchief of Cholet! It is the singer Théodore Botrel who, in 1900, unearthed the legend of the handkerchief, through his song "le petit mouchoir de Cholet". Cholet's handkerchief is red, barred with white stripes. The red to recall the blood of the Vendée, the white to perpetuate the memory of those who stood up for so long against the men of the Revolution.
Its gastronomic specialties: From the young pigeon to the Mouchoir de Cholet in chocolate, passing by the brioche, Cholet celebrates through authentic artisan specialties, respect for the terroir! The youngster, a few kilometers from Cholet, Maulévrier is known to be the European capital of the youngster. Cholet's handkerchief in chocolate: a fine and refined combination of marzipan flavored with orange and a fondant praline with almonds and hazelnuts, coated in chocolate. Le Cholon: a praline-nougatine with orange zest, coated in milk chocolate or dark chocolate, to taste! Brioche is a soft and delicately scented local specialty. Without forgetting the fressure, the bottereaux, the mogette, the rillauds, the chicken labeled Cholet...

Museums:

Museum of Art and History: Two galleries, one dedicated to History, the other to Art, respond to each other within this ensemble of large and bright spaces. The History Gallery sweeps through the heyday of Choletais from the Gallo-Roman era to the 20th century, with a focus on the Wars of Vendée, a landmark episode in the history of the city.
Textile and Fashion Museum: In the old fabric bleaching factory built in 1881, the museum offers the stages of manufacturing from fiber to thread and from thread to fabric. There is the last production workshop for the traditional handkerchief of Cholet (still in operation).

Architectural heritage:

Le Grand Café (former Town Hall, Place Travot).
The old theater (place Travot).
Place Rougé and rue du Commerce (rue Jean-Paul II).
The Guilloux hotel (rue Nationale).
The hotel of the sub-prefecture (rue Bretonnaise).
The Grenier à sel tower (rue des Vieux Greniers).
The weavers' houses (rue de Livet, la Dube, les Blanchisseurs, passage des Grands Jardins, etc.).
The Palais de Justice (Mail garden).
The ramparts of the castle (Mail garden, opposite the Town Hall).
The menhir de la Garde (Mail garden).
City and agglomeration hall.
Place de la République.
The place of the 77th Infantry Regiment (in front of the station)...

Religious heritage:

The Notre-Dame church in neo-Gothic style is easily recognizable with its two arrows rising to 65 meters.
The Sacré-Coeur church in Romano-Byzantine style is listed as a Historic Monument. Don't leave without admiring the restored carillon! In July-August only.
The Saint-Pierre church stands out with its 850 kg statue.

Parks and Gardens:

100 m² of green spaces per inhabitant in the heart of the city and in the neighborhoods, not to mention the multitude of individual gardens.
Almost 1,100 km of marked hiking trails, which cross the natural sites of Choletais, including 2,500 hectares of forest, 5 ponds and lakes.
In the city center, the Mail garden, a fine example of a 19th century garden.
Parc de Moine, a green setting near the city center.
Lake Ribou and its leisure center, a unique facility between town and countryside. La Ribou'cle is aptly named: 11 km to be done on foot only.

Sports:

Glisséo: a swimming pool - skating rink complex. On the same place, in the heart of the city, Glisséo offers two skating rinks (fun and sports), and an aquatic complex made up of eight pools with slides, whirlpools...
18-hole golf course: play, swing for two minutes from downtown.
Without forgetting Cholet Basket, a club of international renown which evolves in Pro A!

Information points	Tourist Office of the Choletais
Leisure centres	Leisure Centre of the lac de Ribou Museum of Art and History of Cholet Museum of the Textile et de la Mode Racecourse of Clenet Swimming pool GlisséO
Monuments	Church Notre-Dame Church of the Sacré-Coeur Menhir of the Garde Tower of the Grenier à sel
Performance halls	Jardin de Verre
Transport	Train station of Cholet

January: La Folle Journée en Région (classical music festival decentralized in the region).
April: Festival des Arlequins / Les Impromptus (amateur theater with a jury of theater professionals).
May: Carnival of Cholet (more than 80,000 visitors attend the two parades by day and by night).
June-July: Les Z'Allumé youth festival (thrills guaranteed!).
July: Les Enfantillages (free shows for children at Parc de Moine).
July-August: Summer tours organized by the Choletais Tourist Office: discovery tours, special children (treasure hunt),... Every day, an activity!
September: Expo and Events.
October: Salon des Arts (more than 400 works to discover).
October: Photography Fortnight (presentation of the work of several professional photographers).
November: "Fouille qui Veut" (flea market, garage sale).
December: Christmas market, entertainment and shows, free rides.

Tourist routes and must-see places:

The Oriental Park of Maulévrier is 10 km from Cholet. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful Japanese parks in Europe. To visit day and night. Magic !
A few kilometers from Cholet, in Saint-André-de-la-Marche, discover the Shoe Trades Museum. This old factory traces the activity of the shoe through the trades of the clog maker and the shoemaker, but also the industry, thanks to machines, still in working order.
At La Séguinière, La Séguinière Outlet: factory and brand outlets for astute shopping lovers! More than 100 major ready-to-wear brands for men, women, children, shoes, sport, sportswear, home, decoration and household appliances offer, directly, all year round, their collections from previous seasons with reductions of -30% minimum.

To discover in the Agglomeration Community of Choletais: the Noues pond, the Péronne pond, the Verdon lake, the forests of Vezins, Nuaillé, Chanteloup, the heath of Chêne-Rond at Puy St Bonnet.

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Maine-et-Loire

Additional information
Cholet and its Textile museum

Things to see and do

Places of interest

Events and festivities

Photos

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Related articles
Cholet and its Textile museum