Segré: Discover culture, city history, and nature

Segré combines historic architecture and city history with a digital cultural offering, weekly markets, and nature along the Oudon. When planning your stay, you can focus on different things: learning about the city’s development, discovering art and cultural heritage, or spending time in the park and on paths through the countryside.

Church and city history

Église Sainte-Madeleine offers a tangible insight into the town’s architectural history. Architect Dellêtre rebuilt it between 1835 and 1842 on the site of a dilapidated predecessor. Between 1890 and 1896, the church was extended by the Angevin architect Auguste Beignet. The two construction phases mark distinct stages: the new building and its later extension. An example of religious architecture in Anjou Bleu, the church towers over Segré and the Oudon.

If you prefer to take in the history along a route, Segré has a 4.8-kilometre historical town walk. It passes through the former mining town and spans the period from its founding to the present day. Information panels provide additional details about the town’s history. The route thus combines a walk with stops focused on the town’s historical development.

A digital museum and two weekly markets

The Micro-Folie digital museum is located in the Médiathèque at Espace Saint-Exupéry, 39 rue Charles de Gaulle. It is supported by the French Ministry of Culture and coordinated by La Villette. Several areas and offerings let visitors discover art and cultural heritage in new ways, including a virtual reality area. This gives Micro-Folie a cultural focus distinct from the architectural history of Église Sainte-Madeleine: here, the emphasis is on digital ways to access art and cultural heritage.

The two weekly markets differ in their day, location, and offerings. On Wednesday mornings, a market selling food and manufactured goods is held at Place Aristide Briand in the town centre. On Saturday mornings, a food market supplied exclusively by producers is held at Place de la République. If you are planning a market visit, these details can help you choose the right morning and location.

Nature along the Oudon and paths through the countryside

Parc de la Vallée de l’Oudon is Segré’s green heart, just a few steps from the town centre. It follows the Oudon and its meanders and covers around ten hectares. Walkers can observe numerous species in the river or above the riverside vegetation along the towpath. The valley is particularly well suited to nature walks and discovering biodiversity. The park is also designated a Refuge LPO and is especially suitable for birdwatching.

Another way to explore the surroundings is the Parcours d’orientation de la Vallée de l’Oudon. The aim is to find as many as possible of the 30 hidden markers using clues from four themes: people and stone, vegetation, landforms, and water. The focus is on careful searching guided by a range of themes.

The Circuit de la Planchette starts at Église Saint-Aubin-du-Pavoil and leads to one of the highest points in the area around Segré. Along the way, visitors can explore the Angevin countryside and sunken lanes. Together with the historical town walk and the orienteering course, it offers a different experience from the paths along the Oudon: here, the focus is on the landscape and sunken lanes, while the others centre on city history or nature observation.

Discover more destinations: Beaucouzé, Méon, Fontevrault-L'abbaye, Clefs-Val D'anjou, Saint-Clément-De-La-Place, Bouchemaine, Jallais, Saint-Clément-des-Levées.

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