Soaring above the town’s rooftops, Saumur’s fairy-tale castle was largely built in the 13th century by Louis XI, and has served variously as a fortress for protection from the Normans, a Renaissance palace, a Protestant stronghold and an army barracks. Today it houses Saumur's municipal museum, whose exhibits include outstanding collections of faience (earthenware) and equestrian gear, housed in the adjacent abbey church.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
28.17 MILES
Villandry's six glorious landscaped gardens à la française are some of France's finest, with more than 6 hectares of kitchen gardens, cascading flowers,…
25.31 MILES
Romantic, moat-ringed Azay-le-Rideau is celebrated for its elegant turrets, perfectly proportioned windows, delicate stonework and steep slate roofs…
22.97 MILES
The most medieval of the Loire châteaux, Langeais – built in the 1460s – looks much as it did at the tail end of the Middle Ages, with crenellated…
15.85 MILES
Surrounded by massive walls, this hilltop castle – offering fabulous views across town, river and countryside – is split into three sections separated by…
7.78 MILES
The highlight of this 12th-century abbey complex is the vast but movingly simple church, notable for its soaring pillars, Romanesque domes and polychrome…
École Nationale d’Équitation
2.88 MILES
One of the world's premier equestrian academies, the prestigious French National Riding School is home to the Cadre Noir, an elite group of riding…
27.21 MILES
Looming above the river, this forbidding medieval castle – seat of power of the once-mighty counts of Anjou – is ringed by moats, 2.5m-thick walls and 17…
18.93 MILES
Owned by the Brissac family for 18 generations (since 1502), this seven-storey castle, the tallest in France, has 204 rooms, many of them sumptuously…
Nearby attractions
0.17 MILES
Restored, cleaned and stabilised in 2016, this mostly 12th- and 13th-century church brings together Aquitaine-style Romanesque and Plantagenet (Anjou…
0.6 MILES
Action-packed oil paintings, colourful but impractical uniforms, plumed helmets and old photos trace the history of France's cavalerie (cavalry) from 1445…
0.88 MILES
Housed in a one-time cigarette factory, this non-profit museum displays more than 200 blindés (tanks) and other military vehicles – some in working order …
1.78 MILES
Founded in 1885, this winery specialises in Crémant de Loire (sparkling wine made using the Champagne-style méthode traditionelle) as well as non-bubbly…
5. École Nationale d’Équitation
2.88 MILES
One of the world's premier equestrian academies, the prestigious French National Riding School is home to the Cadre Noir, an elite group of riding…
3.09 MILES
Get acquainted with some fabulous fungi at this mushroom museum, where you can see about a dozen varieties growing in glowing shades of orange, yellow,…
3.22 MILES
Tufa-stone sculptures of 20 of the Loire Valley's most famous monuments, from Tours' cathedral to the château at Amboise, are displayed in a former tufa…
4.94 MILES
This is one of the last places in France producing the traditionally made dried apples known as pommes tapées. You can see displays on how it’s done,…