"Built in the 10th century, the stunning Château de Saumur once served as an army barracks, and then later as a state prison under Napoléon. Today, it houses a so-so municipal museum, but it’s the spectacular views of the Loire River, best enjoyed from the castle’s Belvedere Tower, that attract thousands of visitors each year. Crowds also gather here each June to watch the cyclists in the annual Anjou Vélo Vintage race, which ends at the port beneath the castle."
The Essential Guide to the Loire Valley
Photo by S. Gaudard