Saumur Audio Guided Walking Tour 1h30 and 18 audio reviews

Here you are in St. Peter's Square, probably the most emblematic of Saumur. Around you, the terraces, old facades and cobblestone streets make up a living decor, typical of the historic heart. This is where the soul of the city has been beating for centuries.

You are at the foot of Saumur Castle, whose towers dominate the city and the Loire. From here, between the rooftops of the old centre and the tuffeau façades, you can see one of the most emblematic silhouettes of the Loire Valley

On this side of the square are the Halles Saint-Pierre, a discreet place full of history, symbol of trade and conviviality in the Saumur region. These halls, which are now a little behind in the life of the centre, will soon regain all their vitality.

You are currently walking down Temple Street in the heart of Saumur. This is an opportunity for me to go back in time and tell you about the origins of what is now known as “white”. Its history begins long before the elegant riders of the Cadre Noir: it has its roots in antiquity.

Located at the southwest corner of the old compound, it once monitored the countryside and the Poitou road. Built to defend the city, it stands out for its clovered machicolations, typical of the architecture of the Saumur, combining strength and elegance.

The Protestant Temple of Saumur is a neoclassical building of great sobriety. Inspired by the ancient temples of Paestum, it is distinguished by its portico of four Doric columns and its triangular pediment bearing the words: “To the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.

Here you are on the Place du Petit-Thouars, a lively crossroads in downtown Saumur, recognizable by its typical triangular shape. Bordered by shops, it is outside the old medieval compound. But behind its apparent tranquility, it bears the memory of a hero: Aristide Aubert du Petit-Thouars, a sailor from Samoa who became a national legend.

At the corner of the Place du petit-Thouars, at number 2 of the Rue du petit-Thouars, stands an elegant tufted tufted building: the Saumur Auction Inn. With its orderly façade and its blonde stone typical of the Loire Valley, it illustrates the academic style of the early 20th century, sober and rigorous, inspired by the institutional architecture of the Belle Époque.

In front of you lies one of the most emblematic places of Saumur: the Cavalry School. Its history began in 1763, under Louis XV, when the Duke of Choiseul decided to reorganize the French cavalry by creating several training schools.

Here you can see the monument to the dead of the Saumur Cavalry School, erected on the vast Place du Chardonnet, directly opposite the school buildings. Erected in 1925, it pays tribute to all the horsemen, officers, non-commissioned officers, military veterinarians and horses who died for France during the Great War.

These are the former stables of the Armoury, built between 1827 and 1840: a sober military setting that became the Cavalry Museum. Listed as a Historic Monument, this building was for a long time the cradle of the Cadre Noir; it now hosts 1,400 m2 of exhibitions in the heart of the Chardonnet district, in a heritage complex unique in Europe dedicated to military riding.

Here is the Church of St. Nicholas of Saumur, one of the oldest in the city. Mentioned as early as 1145 as Saint-Nicolas-des-Rives, it once served sailors and merchants settled along the Loire.

Around you lies the Place de la Bilange, the lively heart of downtown Saumur. For centuries, this crossroads has connected the main shopping streets of the city and served as a meeting point for locals and travellers.

Unmissable on your left, this theater, called the Dome, is an elegant neoclassical building overlooking the Place de la Bilange and the Loire docks. Its harmonious façade, decorated with Corinthian columns and light stone, houses one of the most beautiful Italian-style theatres in Western France.

Here you are on the banks of the Loire, majestic and changing. Here, the river is lined with elegant docks where merchants’ houses and wine warehouses once lined up. It was on these shores that came the gabarians loaded with tufa, salt or barrels of Anjou wine, enlivening the city to the rhythm of the floods and variations of the river.

The elegant façade here belongs to the Saumur City Inn, an imposing and refined building that illustrates centuries of municipal history. Originally, it was not a town hall but a fortified house built at the end of the 15th century on the old fortifications of the city.

In front of you stands the monument to the dead of Saumur, erected in the Republic Square. Made in the early years of the 20th century by sculptor Paul Roussel and architect A. Turning, he pays tribute to the inhabitants of Saumur who fell for France during the great conflicts of the 20th century.

The small square of the Well-Neuf is one of the most picturesque corners of old Saumur. Nestled between rue du Puits-Neuf and rue de la Tonnelle, this cobblestone plot keeps the atmosphere of a village in the heart of the city.