Things to do in Saumur: Sophie & Benoît’s guide

Visiting Saumur · The Essential

The Château de Saumur and its heritage

Perched on its hillside above the Loire, the Château de Saumur is the silhouette that defines the town — the one painted in the Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry. Now the town's château-museum, it opens to visitors in season; the esplanade and the panorama over the Loire are freely accessible and worth the climb on their own. Check opening times and tickets on the official website before your visit.

In summer, hot-air balloons regularly rise above the rooftops — a sight we never tire of.

Saumur Castle and hot-air balloons

The Musée des Blindés (Tank Museum)

A few minutes from the centre, Saumur is also home to one of the world's largest collections of armoured vehicles. Historic tanks and rare vehicles from both world wars: enthusiasts easily spend two hours here. An essential of a different kind, much sought after by visitors.

Visiting the Saumur Cellars

The cellars and Crémant de Loire

Saumur is a capital of Loire sparkling wine. In the Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent quarter, the great houses carved their cellars into the tuffeau stone — miles of galleries at a constant temperature: Ackerman, Bouvet-Ladubay, Gratien & Meyer and Veuve Amiot offer tours and tastings — while Louis de Grenelle crafts its cuvées right in the town centre. Most tours can be booked online; check seasonal opening times.

Restaurants in Saumur · 100% personal picks

Where to eat in Saumur — our addresses

No encyclopaedic selection here: only the tables we go back to — the ones we share with our guests in person on arrival. In season, do book ahead.

The view from Bonheur Saumur

What to do in Saumur · On Foot

Strolling: Saint-Pierre, the quays and the market

Saumur's historic heart is best explored on foot. The Place Saint-Pierre, lined with half-timbered houses beneath its medieval church, is its centre of gravity; from there, lanes run down to the Loire quays and the Cessart bridge, where the light on the river — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape as part of the Loire Valley — is at its finest late in the day.

The big Saturday morning market fills the town centre — Place Saint-Pierre, Place de la Bilange and Rue Franklin Roosevelt — with local producers; on the last Sunday of each month, bargain-hunters gather at the Place de la République flea market. Other market days are detailed on the town's website.

Cadre Noir de Saumur · Equestrian Art

The Cadre Noir and the equestrian arts

Saumur is the city of the horse. The riders of the Cadre Noir, the elite corps of the National Riding School, keep alive the French tradition of equitation, inscribed by UNESCO on the intangible cultural heritage list. Three ways to approach them: guided tours of the site, morning sessions to watch the training, and the galas — in high demand, to be booked well in advance. Check the official visits calendar before planning.

The School is around ten minutes by car from both our apartments, on the heights of Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent.

Around Saumur · Troglodytes, Villages & the Loire

Exploring the surroundings: troglodytes, Fontevraud, Montsoreau, the Loire by bike

The troglodyte world

The tuffeau quarried to build châteaux and abbeys left behind a unique underground world: working mushroom farms, semi-troglodyte villages such as Turquant and Souzay-Champigny, cave restaurants serving fouées. Our favourite circuit, an 8–11 minute drive away, remains the trio we recommend to our guests: the Mushroom Museum, Pierre et Lumière and the Puygirault Gardens — three neighbouring sites that combine into a half-day.

Montsoreau and Fontevraud Abbey

Following the Loire upstream, Montsoreau — listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France — sets its château directly on the river. A few kilometres further, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, one of the largest monastic cities in Europe, holds the effigies of the Plantagenets, including Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Allow half a day for both; check seasonal opening times.

The Loire by bike

The Loire à Vélo cycle route runs through Saumur — you join it from the quays, a 650 m walk from our apartments. The Saumur–Montsoreau stretch, between river, vines and tuffeau villages, makes a particularly pleasant day trip; several bike-hire shops operate in town.