Marcé combines aviation history and heritage architecture with a named hiking route. At Espace Air Passion, aircraft and gliders take centre stage; the town’s history is reflected in its manor house, church, homes and reminders of livestock farming. If you prefer to be outdoors, you could also consider the “Sentier du pont” circular walking route, which passes through Marcé and other places before reaching the Chambiers Forest.

Aviation history at Espace Air Passion

Espace Air Passion is located at Angers Airport in Marcé. The museum presents the history of aviation through around 40 aircraft and gliders. The collection includes around 20 airworthy aircraft; the size and condition of the collection may change. The first figure describes the approximate size of the collection, while the second refers to the airworthy aircraft. Visitors can climb aboard two aircraft in the collection. The cockpits of the Fouga and Broussard are also accessible, allowing visitors to experience the pilot’s seats. Printed visitor guides in four languages are available to help visitors find their way around as they explore the exhibits.

Heritage architecture and local history

The Manoir de la Brideraie in Marcé has major construction phases dating from the 16th and 19th centuries. It has been listed as a historic monument since 7 December 1972. The Église Saint-Martin de Tours has a vaulted choir and houses a significant retable, or altarpiece. Its side chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Gilles date from the 16th century. A vaulted choir is an architectural feature; the retable is an item of interior furnishings. The main street is lined with typical stone houses featuring bull’s-eye windows. Bull’s-eye windows—œil-de-bœuf in French—are round or oval façade details. The Maison du Prieuré Cure is an old house dating from the 17th century. In chronological terms, the manor house spans two periods, with construction phases in the 16th and 19th centuries; the chapels and the Maison anchor local history in the 16th and 17th centuries, respectively.

In Marcé, historical evidence recalls the village’s livestock farming, which continued until the 1960s. This adds another perspective to the architecture: while the manor house, church and homes bear architectural features, livestock farming points to an earlier local way of making a living.

The Sentier du pont

The “Sentier du pont” circular walking route passes through Marcé, Beauvau, La Chapelle Saint-Laud and the Chambiers Forest. Unlike Espace Air Passion, which focuses on an aviation collection, the route takes in several named places and a forest. This offers different ways to explore: an exhibition about aircraft, historic buildings and a circular route through several places. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus more on cultural history or hiking.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Le Vieil-Baugé, Montreuil-sur-Maine, Les Rosiers-Sur-Loire, Parçay-Les-Pins, Maulévrier, Saint-Martin-du-Fouilloux, Saint-Jean-Des-Mauvrets, Vihiers.

For the main travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.