Each year, on the last weekend in August, Agen hosts ‘Le Pruneau Show, Les Fête d’Agen’ over three days, in which live music, sports, and plum culture are celebrated. You can't miss it; it's held in various venues and in the streets of the town. And with roots dating all the way back to the 14th-century, it’s hardly surprising that many visitors flock to Rue Puits de Saumon to admire the pretty stone building. Take a walk along the banks of the River Garonne, one of the.

Right next to Agen’s town museum, the first stone of the theatre was laid in 1906 by the-then president of the Republic of France, Armand Fallières. Agen Tourism Agen Hotels Bed and Breakfast Agen Agen Holiday Rentals Agen Holiday Packages Flights to Agen Agen Attractions Agen Travel Forum Agen Photos Agen Map Agen Guide. Visiting by boat?

Now referred to as the Boulevard Piéton, “Pedestrian Boulevard,” it’s the liveliest street in the city, and is the first port of call for any shopping trip in Agen.

Now, the brick façade can be admired from afar. Take a walking tour of the city. Agen is one of the main springboards for boat trips on the canal, and if you plan ahead you could float all the way from here down to somewhere like Carcassone or Béziers within a week. A rare example of Dominican architecture in France, the building is no longer consecrated but has since been incorporated into the Musée des Beaux-Arts. Food-processing industries and related services are important; pharmaceuticals and shoes are also manufactured there. The area code for Agen is 47001 (also known as code INSEE), and the Agen zip code is 47000. In 1998 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its location on the ancient Way of St James pilgrimage route. Check prices and availability here.

The city of Agen is a french city located south west of France. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Although Agen doesn’t have its own international airport, you’ll find well-served airports in Bordeaux and Toulouse. Omissions? Contact Hôtel le Provence Agen: This three-star hotel is generally well-reviewed and comes with complimentary WiFi.

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Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. The town’s rugby team is an Agen institution, and flits between France top two professional divisions: They’re too good for the Pro D2, but haven’t quite managed to stay in the Top 14 for more than a season at a time in the last few years.

You’ll be immersed in the grandeur of a Roman spa, on a tour that leads you through from the bathing room through the frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium accompanied by projections and some of the sounds and smells that you’d have experienced.

Lying alongside the River Garonne (one of the five major rivers of France), Agen was first founded in Antiquity. Bathed by the Garonne River and bordered by the Canal de Garonne, the city is illuminated in this particular light the Southwest. Here’s why…. Spanning over the part of the Canal de Garonne closest to the city, the rather impressive Pont-Canal is easily one of the best things to do in Agen. But instead of presenting dusty foundations, the ruins are rendered in 3D with tricks borrowed from the theatre and movie business. The commune of Agen (French: , Occitan: ) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. But there’s much more to this charming small city in the Lot-et-Garonne in the new region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. By the time of the 6th-century, King Clovis seized power and Agen was made the capital of the Agenais region of France. Kelby Hartson Carr is a former resident of Nice, France who has written multiple guides and articles about French tourism.

Today, the city is one of the most important in the Lot-et-Garonne department of France. You’ll be strapped into a harness as you scramble up nets, fumble over rope bridges and on “Parcours de Pierre” ride the longest zip-line in the southwest at more than 300 metres. A fan of all things France related, she runs solosophie.com when she's not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming her weight in sweet food. The theatre of Agen is the first of its kind in l’Hexagon to be constructed in re-enforced concrete.

Interestingly, the world-famous Agen prunes are not actually from Agen but from nearby villages. The venue is ultra-stylish to boot, with a cafe and two plush auditoriums. Last Updated on 15th February 2019 by Sophie Nadeau. This is an assortment  of 14 adventure courses suspended from the trees like a kind of Ewok village. ides to pick from, and though all of these pull in the mid-summer crowds, you can cut the queues by paying a little extra for the “Fast Pass”. Mentioned by Julius Caesar as Aginnum, capital of the Nitiobriges people, it was captured by the Frankish king Clovis (509) and was the centre of the countship of Agenais.

Though it’s true that all the hotels, cafés, and restaurants will be open during the summer and many close during the winter, spring and autumn are also great times to plan a trip. La Musée Pruneau Gourmand (located in Granges-sur-Lot near Agen) is the prime destination for those interested in Agen’s most famous crop as the museum traces the colorful history of the area’s prunes.

We have reviews of the best places to see in Agen. Situated a little way out the city, the canal of the River Garonne was inaugurated in 1857.

There are two large lakes in the park, Passeligne and Pélissier, which have big stocks of carp, perch and black bass for fishers.

Linking the Pink City, Toulouse, to the Atlantic Ocean, today the easy-to-navigate waters are popular among pleasure cruises. Agen prunes are made from Ente plums, brought back from Syria in the 1200s. All brick façade, this church dates back to the 13th-century and was established by the Dominicans in 1249. A network of narrow medieval streets contrasts with wide modern boulevards. So-called because when the Romans arrived in the area, thanks to the way the two rivers flow into the area, they believed that they were between ‘two seas’, the name has stuck around ever since. Much of the charm in Agen lies in the ability to traverse the city by foot in the space of a couple of hours. (1999) 30,170; (2014 est.) The municipal museum of fine arts occupies a group of Renaissance mansions.

This is ideal for youngsters because you can see the delightful Garonne countryside without having to deal with road traffic.

The Canal des Deux Mers is sometimes used to refer to the Canal du Midi but is also used to describe the entire canal route across France, which incorporates the Garonne Canal and Canal du Midi. There are five other historic churches in this one little village, and a few lanes of rustic stone and timber-framed houses in a carless core within the walls. Agen. Often said to be the ‘most beautiful street in Agen’, Rue Beauville is all cobbled lane and timber-framed houses, providing a true glimpse into what Agen must have looked like in times gone by. Updates? It lies on the river Garonne 135 kilometres (84 miles) southeast of Bordeaux. On the chancel ceiling here are paintings of apostles, evangelists and the ancient Kings of Israel and Judah. The hotel’s restaurant is its best allure of all, featuring premium examples of regional cuisine.

Agen was the home of the Scaligers, eminent medieval scholars, and of Jacques Jasmin, the barber-poet.

You better be sure that kids won’t be bored in Agen, as five minutes up the road is another first-rate family day out. The common areas continue that theme, including a warm billiards and game room.

The stalagmites and stalactites and other bizarre concretions are illuminated with different colours to help them stand out and the whole time you’ll be filled in on the cave’s story by a guide. One of the oldest visible monuments in the city can be found in the form of the tower of Notre Dame du Chapelet. Much like many other cities in the South of France (such as Narbonne), Agen was then occupied by the Romans from the 1st Century BCE to around the 3rd Century CE.

This article was most recently revised and updated by, The Catholic Encyclopedia - The Diocese of Agen. The rugby and prune capital of France can easily be explored over the course of a day.

France.

Sometimes steeped in brandy, this local French speciality is a must-sample when in the region. During the Roman era, the city was known as Aginnum and was inhabited by the Celtic Nitiobroges. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Adjacent pathways mean that cycling or walking alongside the canal couldn’t be easier. Situated high above the city on Ermitage Hill (which stands at 162 metres high), the Hermitage of Agen is now closed to the public. It lies along the Garonne River at the foot of Ermitage Hill (530 feet [162 metres]), northwest of Toulouse.

For the past five years, I've been writing about the weird and wonderful on this travel and culture blog, with a particular focus on history, hidden gems, and offbeat adventures in Europe and beyond. At this time, Agen was known as Civitas Agenensium and the city’s trade flourished.

Crossing the Garonne is a startling feat of 19th-century engineering. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The town’s rugby team is an Agen institution, and flits between France top two professional divisions: They’re too good for the Pro D2, but haven’t quite managed to stay in the Top 14 for more than a season at a time in the last few years. This will take you to the main sites.

Agen Hostels Business Hotels Agen Family Hotels Agen Spa Hotels in Agen … As such, I recommend giving yourself an overnight stay in the city so as to fully explore Agen’s countless cobbled lanes and historic past. This 12th-century Romanesque and Gothic church became Agen’s cathedral in 1801 after the former Cathedral of Saint-Étienne had been destroyed in the Revolution. SU Agen have a big history though, having won the title eight times and given a start to long line of world-class players like the current French international scrum-half Maxime Machenaud and full-back Brice Dulin. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. © 2015- 2020 Sophie Nadeau. One of the most remarkable things about the site is that you’ll have it all to yourself. If that sounds like a big commitment, you could hire a bike and access the expertly planned itineraries on the towpath organised by the canal’s tourism office. The rumour is that Empress Eugénie donated it to the cathedral. You can also visit Agen from Paris. The oldest private residence in Agen can be found in the form of Le Sénéchal. One of two “Plus Beaux Villages de France” in the Lot-et-Garonne department, Pujols is a medieval hilltop village placed over an ancient Roman fort. Check prices and availability here. It wasn’t until the death of Margaret of France (Marguerite de Valois) in 1615 that Agen was returned to France. But that isn’t to say there’s nothing to see or do.

Agen is served by the Canal des Deux Mers. At this time, Agen was known as Civitas Agenensium and the city’s trade flourished. Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences. Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, Paris, pizza, and history, though not necessarily in that order. Prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne, Agen is halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse, on an axis linking the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. They are mostly independent theatres like this one, which curates a top-notch program of French and foreign language films, from new titles to classics by the likes of Wim Wenders, Kurosawa and Nicolas Winding Refn. Check prices and availability here. France. Young ones can burn off excess energy at three enormous playgrounds, each devised for a different age group and carefully planned to help develop motor skills.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine.