Why not start your visit to the Saumur region... fromAngers? Between these two towns, the tourist route "de la levée de la Loire" offers breathtaking views of the royal river. A landscape listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where large islets planted with majestic trees stand alongside wide sandbanks populated by peaceful egrets and grey herons. Les Rosiers-sur-Loire, Le Thoureil, Parnay, Turquant... from one bank to the other, time seems to stand still in these charming tufa stone villages and hamlets, where the gentle pace of life blends with the sparkle of Crémants de Loire and the diverse palette of Saumur-Champigny wines, such as those from Domaine de Rocheville or Château de Parnay.
Long live fine bubbles!
Established in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, just 3 kilometers from Saumur, Maison Langlois-Château is an ideal base for discovering the gustatory riches of fine bubbly wines. Founded in 1885 by Monsieur Langlois and Madame Chateau, the company currently farms 95 hectares of vines. In addition to its range of Crémants, white and rosé, the estate produces other wines emblematic of the region's vineyards: Saumur Champigny, white, rosé..
The estate offers horse-drawn carriage rides through the vineyards, visits to the cellars, as well as evening events combining food and wine pairings and concerts.
Want to learn more about wine? Maison Gratien & Meyer is based in Saumur itself, with its cellars nestled into the hillside and its breathtaking view over the Loire. Founded in 1896, it also offers a fine range of Crémants, to be discovered on guided tours, by torchlight or as part of an escape game!
Temples of fine Loire bubbles, Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent and Saumur are home to other renowned houses, such as Veuve Amiot, Ackerman, Bouvet-Ladubay and Louis de Grenelle, all of which, like their predecessors, boast gigantic troglodytic cellars, veritable labyrinths whose coolness and limestone composition (the famous tuffeau so typical of the Loire Valley) also offer optimal conditions for mushroom cultivation. A mushroom-growing museum just outside Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent will enlighten you on the subject.
A wide range of activities
It's only a short step from the finest bubbles to the finest horses: in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, the famous Cadre Noir de Saumur is a must-see tourist attraction. Created in 1825 to teach officer cadets classical equitation, this elite corps can now boast the title of official ambassador of "traditional French equitation", listed by UNESCO as part of humanity's intangible cultural heritage! Part of the Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Équitation (French Horse and Riding Institute), it offers guided tours, exercise demonstrations and, of course, wonderful equestrian shows (the "Galas"), available in a variety of formats in its large riding arena. Want to extend your equestrian trip? The Musée de la Cavalerie and its 6 centuries of French military history await you, unless you'd prefer to discover the Musée des blindés, an astonishing facility housing 880 military vehicles and tanks dating from the First World War to the present day.
Saumur is a garrison town, yes, but also a town of festivities and culture, with its Anjou Vélo Vintage, a weekend of events and bike rides in retro outfits and bicycles, or the epicurean Journées Nationales du Livre et du Vin. Set up in and around the Théâtre du Dôme, this literary fair welcomes famous and lesser-known authors every year, as well as winegrowers' stands, round-table discussions and the presence of numerous personalities from the world of cinema, sport and the media. While wines and fine bubbles occupy a prominent place on the Saumur tourist circuit, the liqueurs and syrups of the Combier distillery should not be forgotten! Built in 1848 in the very heart of the town, this distillery is still in operation and offers a one-hour tour. Specialities? Triple sec", an orange liqueur now known as "Original Combier", and Guignolet d'Anjou, an aperitif liqueur made from small wild cherries.
An exceptional heritage
Built on a rocky spur, the Château de Saumur overlooks the waters of the Loire and the town's historic center. This splendid example of a pre-Renaissance château houses the collections of the city's municipal museum (fine arts, decorative arts, archaeology...) as well as the collections of the Musée du Cheval. Finally, it would be a shame to leave Saumur without taking a stroll through the Saint-Pierre district, with its square and church of the same name, timber-framed houses and cobbled streets, or the Temple district, dotted with superb town houses.
To the south-east of Saumur, Montsoreau is still the only commune in Maine-et-Loire to have been awarded the prestigious "Most Beautiful Villages in France" label. You'll quickly fall under the spell of its flower-filled lanes, ancient hillside mansions and, of course, its 15th-century château, whose terraces offer breathtaking views over the Loire. Even further south, the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud is one of the department's most emblematic tourist attractions.
Founded in the 12th century, this gigantic monastery is visited by more than 150,000 visitors every year, who come to admire its large cloister, its gardens and the recumbent figures of Henry II Plantagenet, Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The adjoining Musée d'Art Moderne offers an astonishing leap forward in time: born of the generosity of Léon and Martine Cligman, an art-loving couple who donated almost 900 works from their private collection to the region, it contains canvases by Toulouse-Lautrec, Corot, Buffet, sculptures by Degas..
To the west of Fontevraud, the Château de Brézé invites you to take another leap into the past, with its neo-Gothic facade, richly furnished rooms and incredible underground network of cavities and troglodytic galleries offering a tour route of over a kilometer!
A little further south, Montreuil-Bellay is also home to a marvellous château, built between the 11th and 16th centuries. A visit to its gardens and interiors is highly recommended, but don't forget to stroll through the pretty streets of this ancient walled city, where some of the walls and gates have been preserved.
To the north-west of Montreuil-Bellay, Doué-en-Anjou also offers a wealth of discoveries. The national capital of roses, with some forty horticultural companies, the town also boasts a significant troglodyte heritage, symbolized by the Perrières site, a network of underground galleries dug into the falun (local shell rock deposited by the sea 10 million years ago!) and sublimated by "Le Mystère des Faluns", a splendid sound and light show. Falun quarries are also on the agenda during your visit to the Bioparc, a gigantic zoo set in a former limestone quarry. A veritable Noah's Ark, dedicated in part to the preservation of endangered species. Finally, a few kilometers away, the troglodyte village-museum of Rochemenier takes visitors back through centuries of history, exhibiting a variety of old everyday objects, working tools and photographs.
And why not round off this escapade with a few hours of daydreaming on the waters or banks of the Loire? A variety of navigation options are available on toues cabanées (traditional Loire boats), accompanied by tastings of local wines and products, unless you prefer to tone up your calves by trying out the different routes of "La Loire à vélo", a tourist itinerary offering different sections in the Saumur region, linking Saumur to Les Rosiers-sur-Loire, Montsoreau or Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne.
NEWS
What's it like?
You've undoubtedly heard of the famous "douceur angevine" or "sweetness of Anjou"... Well, this sweetness applies perfectly to this part of Anjou that is the Saumurois! It's a great place to stay in any season, even if the Loire and vineyard landscapes have an added attraction in summer and autumn.
Duration
If you're well organized, a long weekend can be enough to discover the main tourist attractions of the Saumur region (Fontevraud Royal Abbey, Cadre Noir, cellar tours...), but it's by staying at least 2 or 3 days longer that you'll be able to take the full measure of its exceptional heritage.
Budget
Accommodation in the Saumur region is very reasonably priced, starting at 70 euros per night for 2 people. For those on a tighter budget, the region offers a wide choice of top-of-the-range accommodation, including Relais & Châteaux. The restaurant offer is also extensive, with very affordable lunchtime formulas at around 20 euros.
Public
Everyone is welcome in the Saumur region: history buffs, wine enthusiasts, horse lovers, nature lovers... As for the region's caves and troglodytic labyrinths, children will love exploring them with their mouths agape and their eyes wide open!
Highlights
- A truly remarkable historical heritage.
- Out-of-the-ordinary tourist sites (Cadre Noir, Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, troglodytes, Bioparc...).
- Numerous cycling and river tours.
Minus
- Restaurant and tour options may be a little limited in winter.
Getting there
- By car, Paris-Angers: approx. 300 km. Angers-Saumur: 66 km. Allow 3 hrs 30 mins on the A11, then around 45 mins on the D952.
- By train. Paris/Angers: several daily connections from Montparnasse station. Direct journey in 1 hr 40. Angers/Saumur: several TER services depart daily from Angers station.
Useful
- OFFICE DE TOURISME SAUMUR-VAL DE LOIRE - More information on the website and Facebook page.
8 bis, Quai Carnot - 49415 Saumur
✆ 02 41 40 20 60
- LOIRE VINTAGE DISCOVERY CIRCUIT-DÉCOUVERTE - More information on the website
8 rue Bonnemère - 49400 Saumur
✆ 07 71 86 89 55
Several animated day-trip formulas to enjoy with family or friends, aboard retro vehicles.
