The story of Saumur
The Château de Saumur rises on a hill above the Loire and appears in the famous medieval book of hours, the "Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry", looking like a castle from a fairy tale. The town is built of tuffeau, a soft white limestone, and the cliffs around it are full of caves used as homes, wine cellars and mushroom farms.
Saumur is also home to the Cadre Noir, France's national riding school, whose classical horsemanship is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Nearby, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud holds the tombs of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart.
