Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France and has a population of around 27,523.

This historic medieval town is located between the Thouet and Loire rivers and is beautifully surrounded by vineyards. Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon and Chinin to name a few.

Saumur is the heart of the Loire wine business, with most regional merchants having their offices here, and it is no wonder that Saumur wines are world famous. Rich in the regions famous tuffeau and quarried centuries ago, this calcareous rock made perfect cellars for aging Saumur wine.

The town is also well known for the Ecole Nationale d’Equitation which is a national riding school and home to the Cadre Noir Equestrian Corps and is renowned for its annual horse shows.

There are many beautiful monuments in the town, with the great Chateau de Saumur standing tall above Saumur and the nearby Chateau de Beaulieu which was designed by the architect Jean Drapeau and stands just 200 metres from the south bank of the Loire river. On the outskirts of Saumur, there is the remarkable dome of the Chapel of Notre Dame des Ardilliers Church, a must see.

If you are looking for a nice place to have a stroll head south of the historic centre and walk along the narrow streets edged by old houses and around Saint-Pierre square. Here you would find old timber-framed houses and a church containing stalls and tapestries and stretched along the riverbanks east and west of the town are soft white tufa cliffs, pierced by cave dwellings (habitations troglodyte).

Saumur has an air of Parisian sophistication alongside a sense of chilled contentment.