On the banks of the Loire, Saumur combines a fairy-tale castle, the equestrian tradition of the Cadre Noir and an astonishing underground world dug into the tufa stone. With Fontevraud Abbey close by, it is an ideal stop in the Loire Valley.
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Saumur castle above the Loire, the Cavalry Museum, then the royal abbey of Fontevraud and the village of Montsoreau.
Home of the Dukes of Anjou in the fourteenth century, then residence of the town's governors, a prison, and an arms and munitions depot, the Château de Saumur was bought by the town in 1906 to house the municipal museum.
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Set in the former stables of the Cadre Noir, the museum traces the history of the French cavalry from Charles VII to today's tanks.
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Founded in 1101 by Robert d'Arbrissel, heir to a prestigious past, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud became in 1975, through the combined impetus of the Pays de la Loire Region and the Ministry of Culture, a Cultural Meeting Centre entrusted with heritage management.
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Very near a royal abbey, Montsoreau is built around its fifteenth-century castle, between Loire and hillside.
View full page →Troglodyte Anjou: the Mushroom Museum, set in tufa caves, a troglodyte village, then the Doué-la-Fontaine Bioparc, laid out in former quarries.
Enter the fascinating world of wild and cultivated mushrooms.
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The village of Rochemenier is the most complete troglodyte site in the Loire Valley.
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In the heart of the Loire Valley, the Regional Nature Park, near Saumur, Angers, Cholet, the wildlife park welcomes you in its troglodyte site unique in Europe.
View full page →From April to October, when the sites are open. The troglodyte caves stay cool in summer, making them a good visit during a heatwave.
Saumur is served by train. A car or a bike, along the Loire à Vélo route, takes you to Fontevraud, Montsoreau and the troglodyte sites.