Camping Saumur

To Saumur first: this old town is stuffed with sights to see, so go along for a market morning and then have an afternoon (or two) of sightseeing. The best-known stopoff in Saumur is its château, a splendid 10th-century structure sitting on rock above the Loire river. Climb up to the château from the Hotel de Ville and its neighbouring riverside buildings, for spectacular views of the town and river below, and a look at the two castle museums of Musée des Arts Decoratifs and the Musée du Cheval. Also around are the Chapel of Notre Dame des Ardilliers and its 17th-century dome, and the town's oldest religious buildings in the Church of Notre Dame de Nantilly, dating back to the 12th century. A 13-kilometre drive south east of Saumur is 11th-century Fontevraud Abbey, one of the biggest monastic centres in Europe and famed as a site where English as well as French monarchs are buried. If you want to go much further back in Loire Valley history, the Troglodyte village of Rochemenier, to the south of the Saumur, is a must. And if you want to get active, horse riding and kayaking are available nearby and can be booked at reception.