The Château de Saumur, originally built as a fort-castle and later developed as a living château, is located in the town of Saumur, on the Loire river in the Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire, France.
It was originally constructed in the 10th century by Theobald I, Count of Blois, as a fortified stronghold against Norman attacks.
Its white stone, medieval drum towers with machicolations and blue colored roof convey both a sense of power and romance directly from a fairytale.
In 1815, Château de Saumur changed ownership to the French Minister of War who designated its use as an arms and ammunition dump. Its use as a place of refuse remained unchanged until 1889. In 1906, the town of Saumur purchased the castle back from the state to serve as a municipal museum. Subsequent renovation work included restoration of rooms to their original sizes and reopening of staircases, fireplaces, windows, as well as addition of sculpted décor.
It was listed as a historical monument in 1862, and is registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire.
Working hours
Wednesday 10AM–1PM, 2–6PM
Thursday 10AM–1PM, 2–6PM
Friday 10AM–1PM, 2–6PM
Saturday 10AM–1PM, 2–6PM
Sunday 10AM–1PM, 2–6PM
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10AM–1PM, 2–6PM
Prices
– Full price: 6,00 € / 7,00 € ; Reduced price : 4,00 € / 5,00 €
– Family ticket: (2 adults and 2 children : 18,00 € ; free for children under 7 years old)
Address: Esplanade Hubert-Landais, 49400 Saumur, France
GPS coordinates: 47°15′22″N 0°04′21″W
Shortest distances by car
- From Paris: 3 hr 25 min (320 km) via A11
- From Nantes: 1 hr 37 min (155 km) via A11
- From Toulouse: 5 hr 41 min (544 km) via A62 and A10
- From Marseille: 8 hr 5 min (854 km) via A7
- From Nice: 9 hr 38 min (1,012 km) via A7
- From Monaco: 9 hr 49 min (1,034 km) via A7
- From Andorra: 7 hr 59 min (726 km) via A62
- From Madrid: 10 hr 44 min (999 km) via A-1
- From Moscow: 35 hr (3,208 km) via E30/M1
- From Belgrade: 20 hr 15 min (1,964 km) via E70
- From Istanbul: 30 hr (2,913 km) via E70
- From Bern: 7 hr 41 min (757 km) via A6
See here France travel guide
See here Spain travel guide
See here Pyrenees travel guide
See here Andorra travel guide
