Saumur
Saumur, towards the south-east of the historical Anjou region, is best known for the Chateau du Saumur, the highlight of your visit.
Walk along the river front and admire the imposing Hotel de Ville and the other attractive river side buildings all with the white stone and grey slate rooves characteristic of the area. Climb up the steps to the château and enjoy some spectacular views of the town and the lovely stone bridge crossing the River Loire below.
In the Château du Saumur you can visit the dungeons and the tower and also the Musée des Arts Decoratifs and the Musée du Cheval which are in the château.
Wander around the town and enjoy the colombage houses on the Place St Pierre and take a look at the carvings of monsters in the church. Other churches of note in the town are the Church of Notre Dame des Ardilliers, and the Church of Notre Dame de Nantilly.
Saumur played an important role in the Second World War, both in 1940 when France was first occupied - the Battle of Saumur was one of the last battles fought before the occupation - and in 1944 when strategic bombing of the town significantly delayed the advance of German troops to meet the D-Day forces - these events are commemorated in the Cavalry Museum in Saumur.
Saumur is also famous for its elite riding squad, the Cadre Noir, and you can visit their base, the Ecole National d’ Equitation in St Hilaire St Florent, a suburb of Saumur. Various galas and shows take place throughout the year.
Don’t forget to sample the delicious sparkling white wine ‘methode champagnoise’ which is made in the region.
The region around Saumur is well known for its prehistoric traces such as troglodyte caves and dolmens. Until the dark ages these caves were a very popular place to live and you will see many as you tour the region. To the south of Saumur, those at Rochemenier are perhaps the most interesting, with a whole underground village being found in the carved out rock. The dolmen at Bagneux is also particularly impressive.
Saumur is a gem of a town and makes a perfect base for visiting this area because as well as being very attractive it is a good size and so has plenty of hotels, restaurants and shops.
The renowned Fontevraud abbey is a little north of Saumur, and a lirttle to the east you can visit the Manoir de Launay (the Manoir du Roi René), an attractive turreted manor house, built before the excesses of Renaissance architecture had completely pushed aside medieval simplicity.
Note: Honore de Balzac lived at Saumur from 1816 to 1827, and wrote an important part of his Comedie Humaine while in the town.
See more pictures of Saumur
Visit Saumur (Pays de la Loire, Maine-et-Loire) travel, gites and hotels
Best Prices on Hotels in Saumur - Guaranteed
(see guarantee details) Reserve online, pay at the hotel
The Saumur hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Saumur is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Pays de la Loire gites for Saumur holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Pays de la Loire Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Saumur for places to visit near Saumur including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Saumur in our Pays de la Loire forum Airports near SaumurAngers airport at 42 km Poitiers airport at 85 km Tours airport at 90 km Saumur property for saleSee Pays de la Loire property for sale
|
|
||||||||||||
Places to visit near Saumur, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Saumur.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
20 km: Candes-Saint-Martin (Most beautiful village) 1 km: Chateau de Saumur (castle) 16 km: Fontevraud Abbey (Renowned abbey) 16 km: Montsoreau (Most beautiful village)
See also Saumur (version Francais)
