|
In the bright
summer sun the pretty town of
Saumur
on the banks of the
Loire
river,
gives off a
yellow glow as
its buildings of white tufa
stone reflect the
light.
Whatever way you choose to enter
the town it is the graceful chateau you will appreciate
first because of its dominant position overlooking the
Loire.
It originates
from the 14th century but it was in the 15th
that it was made into a comfortable residence by Duke Rene
d’ Anjou. During its long history it has been the governor’s
house, a jail before the town purchased it in 1906 to
restore and turn it into the tourist attr action it is today.
The former royal apartments now house two museums – ‘Musee
des Arts Decoratifs’ and
Musee du
Cheval’. The first houses European china and tapestries with
the second located in the attic of the chateau being
dedicated to equestrian pursuits where you are taken into a
world of saddlery from across
the world –all lovingly worked.
  The town itself
is worth a visit, there are a number of restored older town
houses and around place St-Pierre you will find several
inexpensive restaurants with menus to suit most pockets. You
cannot fail to be impressed when walking along the riverside
with the chateau overlooking you on one side and the river
on the other.
Saumur has a long history with horses as it was home to the
French Calvary Academy, and is home to the Cadre Noir
horsemen, based at the French National Riding School, whose
performances of riding tricks and skills only helps confirm
their status as some of the best horsemen in the world. The
annual Carousel (an equestrian show that takes place in
July) draws thousands of visitors.
 Saumur
is also
home to the
Armoured
Academy
(which replaced the
Calvary)
and there is a tank museum- Musee
des Blindes- with the largest
display in
Europe
and perhaps the world. The collection offers an opportunity
to have an uninterrupted technical and historical overview
of the tank since its first appearance on the battlefield.
Within
the Anjou region 28 different wine labels happily live
together with two grape varieties
dominating the scene: Chenin for white wines like Saumur,
Saumur-Champigny as well as
rosés: Cabernet d'Anjou, Rosé de
Loire and Rosé d'Anjou. The
Saumur wines never fail to please with their sparkling
variety being just what you need, well chilled, on a hot
summer’s day to get that light feeling that allows you to
slip into ‘French mode’ easily.
About 7km from Saumur at Parnay,
you can taste and buy red and sparkling Saumur-Champigny
wines from the troglodyte caves of the Château
du
Marconnay.
Back to top
|
