Make your own way to the Chateau d'Angers in the Loire Valley and use your pre-paid ticket to enjoy access. Once inside, set out on a self-guided tour and spend as long as you like exploring the magnificent castle. The fortress dates back to 1230 and was commissioned by regent Blanche of Castile and her young son, Saint Louis. The original ramparts, measuring around half a kilometer in length and featuring 17 shale and limestone towers, to dissuade potential attackers, were reconstructed in the late 16th century, with pepperpot towers added to the roofs, giving the château its current appearance.  The fortress was intermittently occupied by the Dukes of Anjou in the 14th and 15th centuries, wealthy princes and close friends of the king of France who were prolific builders and art-lovers. Louis I, Duke of Anjou, commissioned the Apocalypse Tapestry in 1375. Originally measuring 140 metres in length (of which 100 metres currently preserved and on display).