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Saumur

Tuffeau-stone town known for horses, sparkling wine and cave dwellings. Stay 2 days. This guide pulls together 5 sights, 1 activity and 2 places to eat from our curated routes.

Plan Saumur with friendsBrowse 10 places
Saumur, France
Places
10

5 See · 1 Do · 2 Eat · 2 Drink

Curated routes
1

Loire Valley Châteaux

Best season
May – Sep

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

26°C / 79°F avg high

Coolest month
January

8°C / 46°F avg high

Wettest month
December

about 74 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Saumur

10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

5 sights worth building a day around across Centre, Fontevraud and Brézé.

  • Château de Saumur in SaumurPhoto: Kamel15 · CC BY-SA 3.0
    See

    Château de Saumur

    Fairy-tale château above the Loire, home to decorative arts and equestrian museums.

    • Centre
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Morning
  • Fontevraud Abbey in SaumurPhoto: Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud · Google
    See

    Fontevraud Abbey

    Vast royal abbey holding the tombs of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

    • Fontevraud
    • $$
    • 2.5 hr
    • Afternoon
  • Château de Brézé in SaumurPhoto: Marc Ryckaert · CC BY-SA 4.0
    See

    Château de Brézé

    Château with an underground fortress of tunnels and dry moats.

    • Brézé
    • $$
    • 2 hr
    • Afternoon
  • Musée des Blindés in SaumurPhoto: Antonov14 · CC BY-SA 2.5
    See

    Musée des Blindés

    One of the world's largest tank museums.

    • Saumur
    • $$
    • 2 hr
    • Morning
  • Montsoreau in SaumurPhoto: Mariekro · CC BY-SA 4.0
    See

    Montsoreau

    Riverside village of white stone with a château facing the Loire.

    • Montsoreau
    • Free
    • 60 min
    • Evening

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent.

  • Cadre Noir in SaumurPhoto: Cadre noir de Saumur · Google
    Do

    Cadre Noir

    France's national riding school; watch training sessions and gala shows.

    Tip Check the calendar for morning training sessions.

    • Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Morning

Eat

Where we would book a table in Saumur across Montsoreau and Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent.

  • Le Saut aux Loups in SaumurPhoto: Champignonnière Le Saut Aux Loups · Google
    Eat

    Le Saut aux Loups

    Mushroom-farm cave restaurant serving baked stuffed galipette mushrooms.

    Tip Terrace overlooks the Loire in good weather.

    • Montsoreau
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Lunch
  • Les Nobles Fouées in SaumurPhoto: Pat K · Google
    Eat

    Les Nobles Fouées

    Troglodyte restaurant baking fouées in a wood oven.

    • Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Saumur in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent.

  • Bouvet-Ladubay in SaumurPhoto: Didier Chevallier · Google
    Drink

    Bouvet-Ladubay

    Sparkling Saumur house with tours of extensive tuffeau cellars.

    • Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Afternoon
  • Ackerman in SaumurPhoto: Caves Ackerman · Google
    Drink

    Ackerman

    Saumur's oldest sparkling-wine house, with cellar visits and tastings.

    • Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Afternoon

How to fit Saumur into a trip

Saumur is stop 3 of 3 on our Loire Valley Châteaux route. Follow it as-is or lift Saumur into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Saumur month by month

Average daily highs run from 8°C / 46°F in January to 26°C / 79°F in July. December is the wettest month, with about 74 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Saumur weather and the best time to visit →

Near Saumur

4 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.

Saumur questions, answered

How many days do you need in Saumur?

Our route notes suggest 2 days in Saumur. On our Loire Valley Châteaux route it is stop 3 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 16 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Saumur best known for?

Tuffeau-stone town known for horses, sparkling wine and cave dwellings. Stay 2 days. Standouts on our list: Château de Saumur (Fairy-tale château above the Loire, home to decorative arts and equestrian museums); Fontevraud Abbey (Vast royal abbey holding the tombs of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine); Château de Brézé (Château with an underground fortress of tunnels and dry moats).

When is the best time to visit Saumur?

Our Loire Valley Châteaux route is best May – Sep. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (26°C / 79°F), the coolest in January (8°C / 46°F) and the most rain in December (about 74 mm).

What are the best things to do in Saumur?

Start with Château de Saumur, Cadre Noir, Fontevraud Abbey, Château de Brézé and Musée des Blindés. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 5 sights, 1 activity, 2 places to eat and 2 bars & cafés.

Where should a group eat in Saumur?

Our picks: Le Saut aux Loups (Montsoreau); Les Nobles Fouées (Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent). Terrace overlooks the Loire in good weather (Le Saut aux Loups).

What is near Saumur?

The closest destinations in our guides are Tours (about 59 km / 37 mi), Amboise (about 82 km / 51 mi) and Paris (about 253 km / 157 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Saumur with your crew

Open the Loire Valley Châteaux route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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