Print

Saumur

After leaving the equestrian town which is home to the Cadre Noir, the north bank is flat and open, contrasting with the wooded and undulating south bank. Along here you can explore the Romanesque art of Cunault and the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre at Gennes.
IMPORTANT: The route will be laid out and marked in Summer 2005.
Distance: 31 km
Additional technical information: tarmac or reinforced gravel/sand surface

STAGE 1: Starting from Saumur

Renowned for centuries for its prestigious Protestant academy, Saumur is nowadays known as the capital of the Horse. Its cavalry school and its famous Cadre Noir have earned it a reputation well beyond the borders of Anjou. A sophisticated town, its historic centre has been perfectly preserved, with some elegant private mansions.

Where to sleep:
     - Camping de l’Ile d’Offard
     - Loire Hôtel
     - Kyriad Hôtel
     - Hôtel Anne d’Anjou
     - Hôtel de Londres
     - Château de Verrières
Where to eat: Find
Places to see or visit: Find

Bicycle hire or repair:
In Saumur: Amster Cycles, Ile d'Offard, 25 rue paul Bert - Tel: 02 41 53 01 01 -
In Saint-Lambert-des-Levées: Cycles Cesbron, Centre Commercial Intermarché – Tel: 02 41 67 69 32 -

Between Saumur and Gennes

ON YOUR WAY

The white tufa hillsides are one aspect of the Loire landscape which has conditioned local economic development and the establishment of small towns. Here and there, they reveal the openings for former quarries, redeveloped in the 19th century for mushroom growing.

Where to sleep in Saint-Martin-de-la-Place:
     - Le domaine de la Blairie
Places to see or visit:
in Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault :
     - La cave aux Moines
     - The priory church
at Saint-Georges-des-Sept-voies:
     - L'hélice terrestre

Gennes

STAGE 2: Gennes

The many dolmens dotted around its environs show that Gennes has been inhabited since ancient times. In the Gallo-Roman period, there was even a proper town, with a temple, thermal baths and an amphitheatre.

Where to sleep:
     - Hôtel Aux Naulets D’Anjou
     - Camping "Au Bord de Loire"
Places to see or visit:
     - The mill at Sarré
     - The Gallo-Roman amphitheatre

Between Gennes and Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire

ON YOUR WAY

The abbey of St Maur-de-Glanfeuil is the perfect place for a visit. The current buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The austerity of the façade contrasts with the soothing whiteness of its stone walls, overlooking the river's serene waters.

Where to sleep
in Chenehutte Trèves Cunault:
     - Guesthouse owned by Mr and Mrs Tonnelier
in Rosiers-sur-Loire:
     - Le domaine de l'Oie Rouge
at the Thoureil:
     - La Haute Cormerie
in Coutures:
     - Camping européen Parc de Montsabert
Places to see or visit
in Le Thoureil:
     - Abbaye St-Maur
in La Ménitré:
     - Atrip on the Loire in the riverboats Loire de lumière I & II

Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire

STAGE 2: Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire

Built next to the Loire levée, Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire is within the area of the Loire Valley awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. The route follows the levée: low-lying fertile land, dotted with greenhouses and mills.

Where to eat:
- La Promenade
Places to see or visit:
- Anjou Valley Observatory

Order the guidebook
"La Loire de Montsoreau à l'océan", Edition Siloë