Vieux Saumur (Old Town)

The old town of Saumur lies between the Loire and the castle hill, and it is a pleasant place to wander, with narrow streets, old houses, small squares and cafés. The town developed around a ford and a bridge on the river, and the high ground above gave a natural place for a fortress. From the tenth century, a stronghold stood on the rock, and the town grew in the shelter of the abbey of Saint-Florent and the defences. In the Middle Ages, Saumur passed to the French crown in the early thirteenth century, and later belonged to the dukes of Anjou, who rebuilt the castle as a magnificent residence.

The Château de Saumur is the town's landmark. Louis I, Duke of Anjou, remodelled the fortress in the late fourteenth century, and its towers and roofs appear in a famous manuscript illustration by the Limbourg brothers, the Très Riches Heures of the Duke of Berry, where it is shown as a fairy-tale castle. Today it houses museums, including the Musée du Cheval, and the terraces give a wide view over the river and the roofs of the old town. The Place du Château and the streets below climb up to the entrance.

The old town itself has several attractions. The Place Saint-Pierre, with its half-timbered houses and the church of the same name, is the most atmospheric square, and in the evening its cafés fill with people enjoying an apéritif. The Renaissance town hall, with its turrets, stands on the river side, and the narrow streets around it hold small shops, bakeries and restaurants. Saumur was a major centre of the Protestant Reformation, and in the late sixteenth century its Protestant academy, founded under the governor Philippe Duplessis-Mornay, attracted students from across Europe and earned the town the nickname of a second Geneva.

Saumur is also an equestrian capital. The Cadre Noir, the prestigious riding school, is based here, and its traditions are recognised by UNESCO. The town is part of the Loire Valley World Heritage landscape. On the edge of the old town, the pilgrimage chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Ardilliers has long drawn visitors, and the Théâtre de Saumur, the Marché de Saumur and the Pont de Saumur give a feel of the modern town.

Beneath the streets and the hillside, the tuffeau caves, among them the Caves de Saumur, offer a different perspective on the town's history.

The old town is free and easy to explore in a few hours. It suits walkers, history lovers and anyone who enjoys a relaxed town with good food and wine.