A petite ville spliced by the sprawling Loire, Saumur (soh-moor; pop. 35,000) is a tiny town with big-city style. Best known for its wine, mushrooms, and equestrian tradition, the city has also profited from an abundance of tuffeau in the past two centuries, the stone used to build the Loire châteaux. Damp, chilly caves bear witness to years of stone excavation and endow the region with an environment primed for mushroom cultivation. In addition to champignons de Paris (button mushrooms), Saumur’s fertile soil nurtures high-quality vineyards. However, this wide palette of discoveries is somewhat tempered by the fact that many sights are only accessible by car or infrequent buses.
Saumur is renowned for its sparkling crémant de Loire wine and bountiful mushrooms. Place Saint-Pierre and its offshoots have great options for a light lunch, the most popular time to eat out in Saumur. Stock up at the indoor market Les Halles at the far end of pl. St-Pierre (open Tu-F 8am-12:30pm and 3-7pm, Sa 7am-1pm and 3-7pm, Su 9am-12:30pm) or try its outdoor equivalents on avenue du Général de Gaulle (open Th 8am-1pm) and place Saint-Pierre (open Sa 8am-1pm). The G20 supermarket, 6 rue Roosevelt, sits inside a shopping center. (☎02 41 53 71 20. Open M-Sa 9am-7:30pm, Su 9am-12:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.)
Unfortunately, many of the city’s most interesting sights can only be reached by car or by somewhat unreliable buses. Exercise caution if biking to these destinations, as most country roads lack sidewalks or bike paths.
Musée Du Champignon. Located in dark caves that were once tuffeau mines, this museum explores the history of mushroom cultivation in the Saumur region. A variety of mushroom species grows in its dank interior—from classic white button mushrooms to colorful velvet shank—and lends the caves a pungent smell. In October, a month-long mushroom festival takes place in the museum. A dégustation of local produce (€2-4.50) and fresh varieties of mushrooms, such as champignons de Paris (€4 per kg, others €14 per kg), are available at reception. Museum patrons can also ask for regional mushroom recipes. Don’t forget to bring an extra layer, as the caves are kept at a brisk 14°C. (Route de Gennes, Ste-Hilaire-St-Florent. Take bus #5, dir.: Villemole, to the stop bearing the museum’s name. ☎02 41 50 31 55; www.musee-du-champignon.com. Open daily from Feb. to mid-Nov. 10am-7pm. €7.30, students €6, under 18 €5.50.)
École Nationale D’Equitation. In 1763, Louis XV chose Saumur as the location for his distinguished cavalry training camp, thereby establishing this town as France’s top center for refined horsemanship. Since 1815, when the École became a civilian national riding school, Saumur has continued the Cadre Noir tradition. The black uniforms distinguish riders from other, lesser-trained, blue-clad cavalry. Students and écuyers (professional riders) alike compete internationally and often go on to train budding equestrians around the country. The palatial premises, located 15min. from the centre-ville by car, contain over 50km of training grounds, 400 horses, and one of Europe’s best veterinarian clinics. Tours pass through the facilities and training grounds; morning visits often include a 30min. viewing of daily warm-ups. (☎02 41 53 50 60; www.cadrenoir.fr. Take bus #31, dir.: St-Hilaire, to Alouette, then follow signs (25min. walk). No sidewalk; exercise caution. Grounds accessible by tour only. 1hr. tour every 30min. Apr.-Sept. M 2-4:30pm, Tu-F 9:30-11:30am and 2-4:30pm, Sa 9am-noon. €7.50, under 18 €4.50. Daily training routines and shows year-round €15, under 18 €8. Call for more info.)
Gratien Et Meyer. Saumur’s effervescent wines have been in demand since the 12th century, when the Plantagenêt kings left for England and took their favorite casks with them, demanding a constant supply from then on. Countless wine cellars on the outskirts of Saumur offer tours and tastings. This well-known vineyard, perched atop a steep hill with a spectacular view of the valley, presents its cellars and small museum in a 40min. tour in English or French. The visit ends with a tasting of its award-winning vintages. Over five million bottles are kept in galleries dating from the Middle Ages. (Route de Montsoreau. Take bus #1, dir.: Fontevraud, from Pôle Balzac to Beaulieu and walk up the hill. ☎02 41 83 13 32; www.gratienmeyer.com. Store open Apr.-Oct. daily 9:30am-6pm. Nov.-Mar. open only to groups of 10 or more by reservation. Visits 10-11am and 2-5pm; tours depart every hr. €3, under 18 free.)
Musée Des Blindes. Commonly known as “the tank museum,” Saumur’s 200-piece armed-vehicle collection is the world’s largest. The museum traces the evolution of 20th-century warfare—to the delight of the 10-year-old boys who visit from far and wide. An ex-tobacco factory now curated by a lieutenant colonel and brimming with intimidating killing machines, this museum is not for the faint of heart. Keep an eye out for the Schneider, France’s first tank; the camouflaged Tiger I, a monstrous German cruiser; and the Leclerc, the world’s best-designed tank. Hidden among the massive machines are more subtle vehicles of war, including the Nazi bicycle. (1043 route de Fontevraud. 40min. walk from the centre-ville, or take bus #34, dir.: Chemin Vert, to Fricotelle and walk left 100m. ☎02 41 83 69 95; www.musee-des-blindes.asso.fr. Open daily May-Sept. 10am-6pm; Oct.-Apr. M-F 10am-5pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm. 30min. group visits. €6 , students €4.50, under 18 €3.50.)
Other Sights. Three 12th- to 15th-century churches brighten downtown Saumur, and a soothing Jardin des Plantes is tucked between av. du Docteur Peton and rue Marceau, on the other side of the château. The picturesque Pont Cessart provides a panorama of the château towering above the city.
Late-night crowds gather in place Saint-Pierre next to the illuminated cathedral and in the numerous Irish pubs at place de la République, but for the most part Saumur has few nightlife options. Next to the tourist office, the 19th-century Théâtre de Saumur (☎02 41 83 30 83) hosts everything from galas de danse to jazz concerts. Catch the latest flicks at Cinéma le Palace, 13 quai Carnot. (☎08 92 68 00 73; www.cinefil.com. Tickets €8; matinees, W, and under 18 €6.20.)
The best way to reach the abbey is by car, but the #1 bus makes the 17km trip from the Pôle Balzac to Fontevraud Mairie (☎08 00 50 77 82; 25min., M-Sa 2 per day, €1.50; call ahead to for particular times). Last return from Fontevraud M-F at 6:12pm, Sa 1:05pm. ☎02 41 51 87 97; www.abbayedefontevraud.com. Open daily June-Sept. 9am-6:30pm; Oct. and Apr.-May 10am-6pm; Jan.-Mar. 10am-5:30pm. €7.90, students €5.90. Tours free with admission; offered in English July-Aug. The tourist office, pl. St-Michel (☎02 41 51 79 45) dispenses free maps. Themed tours of Fontevraud July-Aug. €7.90. Open Easter-Sept. M-Sa 9:30am-1:30pm and 2-7pm. 1 stop before Fontevraud, in Montsoreau, there are troglodyte cliff dwellings and a well-kept château. Call the Montsoreau tourist office (☎02 41 51 70 22) for more info.
One of the largest—and oddest—monastic complexes in Europe, the imposing Abbaye de Fontevraud (ah-bay duh fohn-teh-vroh) has awed visitors for over nine centuries. Robert d’Arbrissel, who built the abbey in the forest of Fontevraud in 1101, failed to be canonized because he founded a community around the controversial practice of “martyr blanc,” or “syneisaktisme,” a particularly grueling act of faith wherein men and women sleep naked together, thus arousing each other only to practice ignoring their worldly desires. Church officials, unamused with the scandalously naughty reputation attached to Arbrissel’s now-defunct religious traveling group, gave him land on the condition that he clean up his act and keep his clothes on. To increase his monks’ humility, Arbrissel demanded that women rule the order, if not in the “terrestrial” world, then at least in the “spiritual” one. Needless to say, this power was somewhat abused in the creation of questionable rules such as those governing daily wine intake (0.5L for women, 0.25L for men). Of Fontevraud’s 36 abbesses, over half were of royal—including Bourbon—blood. Under the rule of these noble ladies, the abbey was coquettishly expanded in the style of the royal Loire châteaux—covered with their initials and portraits. Its chapter house is a prime example: 16 abbesses intrude upon painted scenes of Christ’s sufferings, the women having added themselves as they came to power to the point of painting over earlier portraits. Following the Revolution, the abbey became a prison and remained so from 1804 until 1963, housing minor criminals incarcerated for such nefarious crimes as sticking their tongues out at guards. The 12th-century church also serves as a Plantagenêt necropolis: Henri II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, imprisoned by her husband for 15 years, are both buried there. Their legendary son, Richard the Lionheart, completes the family burial site. Twenty-one chimneys herald the 12th-century Romanesque kitchens, inspired by sketches brought back from the Crusades. Unique in their fascinating architecture, the chimneys were designed to clear the kitchen of smoke as effectively as possible while accommodating seven simultaneously burning fires. An English booklet and signs help visitors along, but the 1hr. tour gives the best summary of the abbey’s extensive history.
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