Saumur, France skyline: the 15 most iconic buildings and best views in Saumur

We had a memorable visit, especially because of the powerful and beautiful fashion exhibit. This was such an unexpected surprise. The range of ceramics on view was memorable and, as a decorative arts historian, fascinating. Displays of objects associated with the long historical importance of equestrian activities associated with Saumur were also interesting. If you find yourself in Saumur, this is worth a visit. Be warned that you can take a steep hike up to the Château but there are easier ways to walk so take that into consideration.

Beautiful chateau, so much to see. Amazing architecture, displays of artifacts and information boards. Staff friendly and helpful. Toilets were rank, someone had made a right mess.. Very interesting reading about the history of the chateau. Highly recommend.

Did not visit the inside as it is mainly various temporary expositions. The outside and the views over Saumur are well worth the detour. Old Town is lovely and the sense of peacefulness of a mid size French town on the river Loire is amazing.

9 euros each for entry. Vaguely interesting to visit inside but I was surprised at some of the displays - Persian ladies clothing and Chinese plates seemed incongruous. A couple of boards were available recounting the history of the Chateau but otherwise not so interesting. The city views were enchanting but much more could be made of the site really. Beware steep steps up and down. Perhaps a guided tour would be a good idea?

Well worth the visit. You can walk around the ramparts for free but 9.50€ to enter the museum and the Keep. There are also two restaurants there for coffee or lunch available until 2pm. Great views over the valley.

Beautiful setting, even if Google did not tell us about a parking facility near the entrance which would have saved us a big climb. Impressive chateau, the Loire is famous for them

Absolutely beautiful and amazing location. The Chateau is outstanding and so well cared for. Saumur is a very po Terry vibrant town with lots to see and do

Basing my review on how much my tank mad son enjoyed it. And on that basis 5 stars!. Well laid out, plenty of real tanks and some super models as well.

A superb collection of historic, and often unique, armoured fighting vehicles. Spanning every era from WW1 to near modern, it is a very traditional museum (no bad thing!) i.e. it's simply a giant shed with loads of tanks etc on display, each properly labelled up with its history and features. No unnecessary dioramas...... A number of the tanks are in running order too, however none was when I visited. The only thing missing was its Tiger 1, which I took to be away somewhere being rebuilt. Good shop too; just a pity most of the really interesting books are in French (naturellement). You need 2 hours or more......

If you like tanks this is your place. A parade of tanks outside awaiting restoration. And hanger after hanger of 1stWW 2ndWW and more modern tanks. Took my two boys 15 and 8 they were enthralled. We spent about 2 hours there.

Great value for €11, world class collection. AMX 50 surbaissé next to the ARL44 is a truly intimidating sight! 10 points for whoever spots the vehicle sporting the 21st century schizoid man

Today we visited the Tank Museum, and it was an impressive experience. The collection features well-maintained tanks from different eras, covering everything from the early days of tank development to modern military vehicles. The museum was almost empty, which was surprising, given how interesting the topic is. The ticket price was just 11 euros per person, which felt very reasonable considering how expensive it must be to maintain such a collection. Each tank has an informational stand, also available in English, detailing its technical specifications and historical use, making it easy to learn more about each vehicle. One unique feature was the use of mannequins on some tanks and equipment, helping to visualize how soldiers would have operated them. The exhibition includes legendary tanks like the Tiger, Tiger II, T-34, and Panther, alongside many other iconic war machines. One downside was that the bathrooms were not working, which was inconvenient. But overall, for anyone interested in military history, engineering, or simply impressive machines, this museum is absolutely worth a visit!

A well laid out museum displaying the history of armour from WW1 to modern day. A great collection with info boards in French and English.

A great tank museum, very well organized with the only « Kong tiger » rolling. A large variety of countries represented from allies, Bi bis 1940 forgotten terror, to Germans, Cold War era machines like this Pluton. Served by tank nerds who help make this history live.

my husband suggested this venue and i was very unsure. I am so pleased we went. this us a fascinating place - part museum / part mushroom farm. we learnt so much it was very cool in the caves (around 12C)a welcome respite on a very hot day.

Fascinating little museum in a cave! Off the beaten path but well worth the short detour. Great for kids too! Be careful if you are over 6’ tall. The cave has low ceilings.

Lovely place to while away 90 minutes. Fascinating to see the growing area plus the caves are lovely and cool. Nice gift shop and v.friendly staff.

I came here as part of a deal. I wouldn't normally have came to a place like this however it was really interesting and I learnt alot. I liked seeing the growing and really enjoyed my time. I would definitely recommend it

Excellent museum, preserved specimens in the first half, then a working mushroom farm! Very intimate experience, highly recommended

Loved this place. Quite large with loads to see. Mushrooms growing that I have never seen before. We bought some mushrooms and they were delicious 😀 The lady that served us was very helpful. Thank you

With over 350 species, here you can learn everything you didn’t know about mushrooms. They also grow 12 species and you can later buy fresh mushrooms in the museum shop

Really nice way to spend an hour and learn about the area. The sculptures are very impressive and the staff were very helpful

Awesome and unique! Highly recommended esp. if hot outside. Take a sweater as it is chilly inside.

Sculptures in limestone of several French churches set in a cave. Unique curiosity. Worth a look

Fantastically cool on a hot day. Limestone caves with ever growing collection of sculptures depicting local landmarks.

False publicity, don't go with kids under 7. Architecture in the valley is obviously not a family experience, that's why the site seduces kids with a promise to carve something themselves at the end. It isn't mentioned anywhere that the sculpturing is only meant for 7+ years old (paying tickets). We were refused the kits and therefore didn't go in. If we knew we would never have come. "A l’issue de la visite, les enfants qui le souhaitent peuvent s’initier à la sculpture." "A l’issue de la visite, une expérience inoubliable pour les enfants ! Une pierre de tuffeau, des outils et des conseils avisés."

Very impressive stone carvings. A great visit on a rainy day and the kids loved the carving at the end. But it is a bit expensive and the water around some of the models is pretty dirty and should be cleaned from time to time. We also got the offer to visit the mushroom museum after. Unless you are really into mushrooms don't do it

Beautifully done sculptures, in an interesting location. Great for when the weather is hot and want to cool down, whilst doing something interesting. Can even push the pram all the way round.

Fiesta 😃

(Translated by Google) Very pleasant village. It is a shame and detrimental for its reputation that the botanical trail is fallow and that the hiking trails, particularly near the marshes, are not maintained enough. Points which could be more attractive for tourists but also for the inhabitants of the city. (Original) Village très agréable. Dommage et préjudiciable pour sa réputation que le sentier botanique soit en friche et que les sentiers pédestres, notamment près des marais ne soient pas assez entretenus. Des points qui pourraient être plus attractifs pour les touristes mais aussi pour les habitants de l'agglo.

(Translated by Google) Very warm welcome by a kind lady who did everything possible to respond to my request, I thank her for her availability and efficiency. (Original) Très bel accueil par une dame aimable qui a fait tout son possible pour répondre à ma demande, je la remercie pour sa disponibilité et son efficacité.

(Translated by Google) Very beautiful place and an exceptionally kind mayor. (Original) Très bel endroit et un maire d'une gentillesse exceptionnel.

(Translated by Google) Kindness to see again, I am amazed how people can be so unpleasant these days. (Original) Amabilité à revoir, j'hallucine les gens comme ils peuvent être aussi désagréable de nos jours.

(Translated by Google) Pretty town hall Very warm welcome (Original) Jolie mairie Très bon accueil

😁

Beautiful building, shame it’s not open to the public.

(Translated by Google) Too bad it's abandoned (Original) Dommage qu’elle soit abandonné

Excellent products from the absinthes through the triple secs and fruity liqueurs. We went on the tour, which was very informative. As others have said, the tour is in french. If you don't speak French well enough to understand the tour (as we don't) you are given a book that explains what is being said, but, despite what you are told, this is not the same as what the guide says. While our French is not good enough to discern the details, it was clear that much more was added verbally. To be fair to our guide, I think she recognised this and started repeating the descriptions in (very good!) English after the French about half way through. While the tastings were small, this was appreciated by the driver in our group and our guide made it clear that we could have more afterwards, and while I would have personally preferred more, in hindsight, their approach is probably right. A minor complaint is that the opening hours vary significantly from advertised. It took us three attempts to actually get in as the "open all day 10h to 19h" turned into a note on the door saying "back at 13:30". Upon returning at 13:45, it had been changed to "back at 14:30". Also, they only give tours at certain times, so check the website (and maybe call beforehand) before visiting. Some annoyances around timings aside, definitely worth the visit.

Very interesting and informative tour. The staff were friendly and helpful and they made a real effort to translate the tour into English for us. We were given a brief history of Combier and the distillation process before touring the distillery and copper stills. The tasting was great and very comprehensive. We were offered samples of whatever we wanted including liqueurs, absinthe, syrups and soupes. Théo is a top man. He was very helpful, knowledgable and a great guide for the experience. Lovely way to spend an hour - would highly reccomend.

We booked an English tour, but upon arrival at the distillery we were informed that the tour would need to be exclusively in French, as both French and English speaking guests had booked this time slot. It wasn’t clear why both languages couldn’t be spoken during the tour, or why preference was given towards native French speakers when we had booked an English tour. Fortunately the French guests were bi-lingual and told our guide that an English tour was fine for them. As it all worked out, still giving this tour five stars; but I would have been disappointed had the tour been in a language we didn’t understand. The tour itself was fascinating — we learned a brief history of Combier, the liquors and syrups produced, and the process of distilling triple sec. The original stills from the late 1800s are still in use! Our guide, Elise, was friendly, informative and interesting. She spoke fluent English & French. The tasting was also fun — it included their 4 most famous liquors (which are excellent), and she also offered us a taste of 2 others we were interested in trying. The tastes were small (maybe 1.5-2 ounces across all 6 tastes in total), which allowed us to enjoy them all responsibly. Overall, I’d highly recommend! The only thing that could have made this better was avoiding the initial confusion of our ‘English tour’ needing to be performed in French. While it all worked out (and Elise was kind enough to not charge us the 6€ fee as a result), I hope that Combier finds a way to ensure that all future guests get the tour in the language they signed up for.

Very disappointed. As someone who works in the tourist industry, I am always on a look out for new things to recommend to our guests, so we decided to try the original triple sec distillery in France. The website said that tours were in both English and French. Upon arrival we were informed that they are not. Most of our group didn't speak French. We were handed a little pamphlet and told that the girl giving the tour says exactly the same thing. Which was not the case at all. I spent the entire tour translating what I could while following along. The distillery visit lasted perhaps 15 minutes. The guide was very soft spoken and didn't bother to talk towards me, only including the native French speakers. The tasting was just as quick. The tasting glasses were the size of a medicine/pill cup. We were given barely enough to cover the bottom of our glass with no way to rinse our glasses or cleanse our palettes between each tasting. As a family who have visited many distilleries around the world, it was by far the worst tour we have ever experienced. Not worth your time.

As others have said, you may be given the impression that you are booking a tour in English, but will be given two laminated info sheets to read while you listen to an hour of French presentation. Skip the tour and just taste the products if you can. The shop/tasting bar is a bit chaotic at the end of the tour so more reason to avoid the Tour.

Old fashioned distillery producing innovative drinks. However production methods are antiquated and could be enhanced to improve productivity as well as profitabilty. I will not be surprised if this company is taken over in the next few years (i.e by a third country company - Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Brazilian, etc) as a way to enter the EU market. The demonstration was good.

Amazing tour. Tour lasted 30 mins - tasting session lasted 30 mins. The idea obviously worked as we went home having bought a bottle! The tour was in French but there was a leaflet in English. Recommended

We stumbled across this museum by accident, and it’s a hidden gem if you have interest in engineering or mechanics. There’s a cookie factory nearby where you can drop off the non-interested part of the group and enjoy the museum at your own pace. There is a lot to see, very diverse, including some exclusive collectibles. It’s nice to see that such relics are preserved and do not end up as scrap. Keep up the good work!

Lovely museum with loads of engines, right from the dawn of petrol engines right up to the present. All sorts, car, stationary, train, generators, etc. Lovely team running the museum, explaining the various exhibits and starting engines to demonstrate how the work.

Why go here? Why not! Nice collection. Great place to take your kids and explain how engines(piston/turbine/four stroke/two stroke etc…). Work.

The museum gives a bit of a messy vibe and not everything has a sign. But it has a nice introduction to the combustible engine (kid friendly), has engines of all sorts and time, and the owner will start some during the tour which is fun. He speaks a little English and knows a lot!

Excellent visit. Lovely helpfull people..masses of interesting engines and cars that run for hundreds of kilometers on a single litre of fuel..well worth a visit .

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A full and varied collection of engines ranging from very old to nearly new. The collection needs far more explanation in the form of diagrams and words. Visitors with little knowledge of the subject would be baffled by much of it.

(Translated by Google) A jewel in a green setting. Guided tour by the passionate owner. Very interesting museum. (Original) Un bijou dans un écrin de verdure. Visite guidée par le propriétaire passionné. Musée très intéressant.

(Translated by Google) Excellent welcome from the owner. Excellent historical explanations about this manor that belonged to King René. A fascinating 2-hour and 40-minute tour. We highly recommend this detour. Reservations required. Éric and Christine (Original) Excellent accueil du propriétaire. Bonnes explications historiques sur ce manoir ayant appartenu au Roi René. 02h40 de visite passionnante. Nous recommandons vivement ce détour. Réservation obligatoire. Éric et Christine

(Translated by Google) Very good evening at the Manoir de Launay during the night of the castles. Musicians, weather vanes, sculptures, old craft tools... This site is not sufficiently known. However, it deserves our attention! To reach 5 stars, I suggest adding demonstrations or craft workshops or a dramatized visit.... (Original) Très bonne soirée au Manoir de Launay lors de la nuit des châteaux. Des musiciens, des girouettes, des sculptures, des outils artisanaux anciens... Ce site n'est pas suffisamment connu. Il mérite pourtant qu'on s'y attarde ! Pour atteindre les 5 étoiles, je propose d'ajouter des démonstrations ou des ateliers artisanaux ou une visite théâtralisée....

(Translated by Google) A fascinating visit on Whit Saturday. Although we arrived as a couple without a reservation, the owner gave us a warm welcome and gave us a tour that lasted over two hours. With passion, he provided us with a historical context from the 11th to the 15th centuries, then led us through different parts of the manor, explaining the architectural details. A huge thank you to him. Also noteworthy is the large collection of antique tools that helps us understand the construction methods. I highly recommend a visit to this manor, which is atypical compared to most of the surrounding castles. However, reservations are recommended. (Original) Visite passionnante le samedi de Pentecôte. Bien que nous soyons arrivés à deux et sans réservation, le propriétaire nous a accueilli avec chaleur et nous a fait bénéficier d'une visite de plus de deux heures. Avec passion, il a su nous remettre dans le contexte historique des XIième au XVième siècles puis nous a conduit dans différentes parties du manoir en expliquant les details de l'architecture. Un très grand merci à lui. A noter également une importante collection d'outils anciens qui permet de comprendre les méthodes de construction. Je ne peux que recommander très chaudement la visite de ce Manoir atypique par rapport à la plupart des châteaux des environs. Il est quand même souhaitable de réserver.

(Translated by Google) An unmissable gem near Saumur. Private visit by its owner, a fine connoisseur of French history. Absolutely worth discovering! (Original) Une pépite incontournable près de Saumur. Visite privée par son propriétaire, fin connaisseur de l histoire de France. À découvrir absolument !

(Translated by Google) A place steeped in history, with an extraordinary tour by the owner, who knows how to share his passion. A big thank you for all the emotions we experienced. (Original) Lieu chargé d'histoire avec une visite .... extra-ordinaire par le maître des lieux qui sait faire partager sa passion .Un grand merci pour toutes les émotions ressenties.

(Translated by Google) Very interesting and informative tour given by a person passionate about his manor and its history. (Original) Visite très intéressante et instructive faite par un passionné de son manoir et de son histoire.

Our second visit to these caves and it lived up to our very favourable memory. We deliberately chose to visit on a very hot day and the cool of the caves was a very welcome relief. The information boards giving the history and method for Ackerman was useful and allowed us to fill in some gaps in our memory. Again the wine tasting was wonderful and ensured we left with some cases of our liking.

We visited Caves Ackerman in Saumur and had a great experience exploring the vast underground cellars filled with history, art, and wine. Established in 1811, it's the oldest sparkling wine producer in the Loire Valley, known for pioneering Saumur Brut and Crémant de Loire. The tour was both fun and informative, with interactive aroma stations, engaging videos about the cave’s history and wine production, and unique art displays like string animal drawings and stunning light projections. We especially enjoyed the wine tasting at the end, with non-alcoholic options available for children and non-drinkers. An unforgettable and enriching experience for wine lovers and curious travelers alike!

Incredible self-guided your and tasting following. The Cave is enormous and has many art installations in addition to telling the story of how the winery can to be and the method of making the wines. Highly recommended!

We had a lovely time here. We just dropped in (didnt book) and were able to do s self guided tour of the caves. There is a lot of history and also very cool modern art! The art was one of the highlights. We then had a tasting of some sparkling and still wines. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. Overall great visit.

Self-guided tours in the cave. Good explication of the production process of sparkling wine with some ancient machines. One star less for extremely chaotic tasting experience- there was way too many people and too little staff. It took us over an hour to taste few beverages. No blame on the person attending us - she was trying to do her best (while being nice to us at the same time) but the crowd was just was too big. Next time we will go for a less commercially oriented site.

Great self guided tour of the limestone cellars where the wine used to be bottled and stored. The tasting was generous and choice of wines very good. Staff spoke English and were very informative. Well worth a visit.

Informative wine tour, first time we did this with our 11 and 13 year old kids. The art exhibition is really cool and spooky, not sure if many people discovered the bit you climb inside a wooden structure ( in dark) and climb to the top. Also the old fashioned game room at the end is really fun. Wine tasting at the end, grape juice and zero alcohol for kids, so we ended up with few bottles to take home. The price is tiny bit more when compared to supermarket but you get your tasting with it.

(Translated by Google) Enlisted as a volunteer at the age of 18 for the Armored Cavalry in April 1968, I spent a wonderful (sometimes hard) year of camaraderie of esprit de corps learning good values. Unforgettable! (Original) Engagé volontaire à 18 ans au titre de l'Arme Blindée Cavalerie en avril 1968 j'ai passé une merveilleuse (parfois dure) année de camaraderie d'esprit de corps d'apprentissage des bonnes valeurs. Inoubliable !

(Translated by Google) Superb 18th century buildings which house the cavalry school. (Original) Superbes batiments du XVIIIème siècle qui abritent l'école de cavalerie.

(Translated by Google) Very beautiful architecture of monuments, homes, premises... Saumur is a very pretty town to discover. (Original) Très belle architecture des monuments, habitations, locaux.. Saumur est une très jolie ville à découvrir.

(Translated by Google) This exceptional building for a town hall boasts a freely accessible interior courtyard that allows visitors to admire the other historic façade. Free, clean restrooms are also located in the courtyard. (Original) Bâtiment exceptionnel pour une Mairie, il y a une cour intérieure d'accès libre qui permet d'admirer l'autre façade historique. Des toilettes propres gratuites sont aussi dans la cour.

(Translated by Google) As for social housing, it's very bad. Furthermore, the city is very dirty and there's too much waste everywhere along the Loire. It's the area that lacks cleanliness. The mayor is very kind but he hasn't solved my social housing problem. We should think about voting for a more right-wing person who thinks first of the quality of life and the safety of its residents rather than building a Casino. For example, and among other things... The police also don't do their job. It's extremely lax and it gives a negative image of France. (Original) Pour les logements sociaux c'est très mauvais. Par ailleurs la ville est très sale et il y a trop de déchets partout au bord de la Loire. C'est la zone ça manque de propreté. Le maire est très gentil mais il ne m'a pas réglé mon problème de logement social. Il faudra penser à voter pour une personne plutôt de droite qui pense en premier à la qualité de vie et la sécurité de ses habitants plutôt qu'à construire un Casino. Par exemple et entre autres... La police aussi ne fait pas son travail. C'est hyper laxiste et ça donne une image négative de la France.

(Translated by Google) Renewing my ID card following a theft. I was very well received and handled quickly despite the long delays in creating it, but I think this is independent of the team. I recommend it. (Original) Renouvellement de carte identité suite à un vol, très bon accueil et prise en charge rapide malgré des délais longs pour la création mais cela est indépendant de l’équipe je pense. Je recommande.

(Translated by Google) I notice the longer street lighting intervals. Very good idea. Above all, don't go back! (Original) Je remarque les intervalles plus longs d'éclairage public. Très bonne idée. Surtout ne revenez pas en arrière !

(Translated by Google) Yesterday, I called the civil registry office to find out what documents were required to acknowledge the birth of a newborn child, because I didn't want to go to the office and be told I was missing documents. My contact was unpleasant; I almost felt like I'd inconvenienced her. (Original) Hier j’ai appelé le service état civile pour savoir quels sont les documents à fournir pour une reconnaissance d’un enfant qui vient de naître, car je ne voulais pas me déplacer et qu’on me dise qu’il me manque des documents. Mon interlocutrice, a été désagréable, j’avais presque le sentiment que je l’ai dérangé.

(Translated by Google) Having the sweeper pass through the street at 5:30 in the morning seems natural despite the nuisance caused. It seems to me that my remark about forgetting to pass through my street was not appreciated. I don't know if the authorized decibels during the day are the same as at night. (Original) Le fait de faire passer la balayeuse dans la rue à cinq heures trente du matin semble naturel malgré les nuisances occasionnées. Il me semble que ma remarque concernant l'oublie de passage dans ma rue n'est pas été appréciée. Je ne sais pas si les décibels autorisés la journée sont les mêmes que la nuit

(Translated by Google) Well it's looking for a needle in a haystack 🤷🏻‍♀️🤏🏻 I naively thought that we could approach it or climb up and have a view of the city 😅 (Original) Eh bien c'est chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin 🤷🏻‍♀️🤏🏻 Je pensais naïvement qu'on pouvait s'en approcher ou grimper et avoir un point de vue sur la ville 😅