Exploring Saumur Before our Visit to the Château
This Saumur blogpost has been updated to reflect our 2017 vist.
The town of Saumur in the Anjou (Maine et Loire) Region of France is well known for its wine, mushrooms and, of course, its château. Like Angers, it is close to both mushroom caves and other troglodyte attractions such as restaurants, night clubs and even art galleries.
Photo courtesy of Carol Wilson
Updating the Post
This post is a compilation of two different visits to Saumur. When we first visited in 2012, it was strictly to visit the Château. On our 2017 visit, Saumur just happened to have the closest laundromat to our gite so we were here with some regularity! For future reference, the laundromat is on the island, accessed by Pont Cessart. There is a large free parking area on Rue Albert Jouanneault. This is a great place to park if you are going to visit Saumer.
Saumur and its château as viewed from the island in the Loire
These lovely pink parapluies sheltered rue Franklin Roosevelt which is the main street through Saumur as we walked across Pont Cessart.
We took a chance and stopped for lunch at a patisserie, La Duchesse Anne because they had a tremendously well priced offer for lunch: a drink, choice of sandwich, pizza or quiche, and dessert for 9 euros. This was a great place for lunch and just look at the desserts we chose!
Walking back in the direction of the Château on Rue Dacier we arrived at Place St-Pierre. More umbrellas greeted us!
Tucked in a corner of the plaza is the 12th century Eglise Saint-Pierre which is Plantagenet gothic inside. The fascade dates from the 17th century.
Just off the square we discovered this lovely fountain.
Château de Saumur & Cadre Noir (our 2012 visit)
The Château is another beautiful attraction that draws people. Perched on a vantage point above the Loire River, this 13th century fortress reflects the beautiful white stone mined in this area. It is the mining of this stone that has over the centuries created the troglodyte caves. One of the beautiful features of the Château is the spiral staircase in the center that rises from the ground floor to the roof.
The grand entry leads you into a court yard at the time of this writing (2012). The Château is undergoing restoration so until 2013 not all parts are accessible to the public. In the courtyard you will be able to see the remains of the keep, the well and carvings on the walls.
Saumur Well
Inside the Château are tapestries, pottery and furnishings from various time periods in the history of the Château. The Château is one of the last remaining examples of the princely palaces built by the Valois dynasty. Now a museum, it served as a prison in another lifetime.
The piece of pottery above was a beautiful blue but with the gold background of the display case, the lighting does not do it justice.
This section of tapestry above was my favorite piece of the tapestry that displayed the four seasons.
Walking the Ramparts
A walk around the ramparts will give you wonderful views of the Loire and the other half of village. The bridge you see becomes a great vantage point from which to take a picture of the chateau.
View of the Loire River from the Chateau
Bridge over the Loire connecting the two parts of Saumur
Cadre Noir
Cadre Noir gournd
Since 1768 Saumur has been considered the “ville du cheval” (village of the horse) because of the Carabiniers de Monsieur where the French calvary regiments train. Riders and horses for the Cadre Noir train here at the Ecole Nationale d’Equitation (French National Equestrian School).
Cadre Noir Training Grounds
Bits and pieces of interesting trivia:
- Eugénie Grandet by Balzac is set in the village of Saumur.
- It is the birthplace of Coco Chanel.
- The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in the château for a short period of time.
Leave a Reply