Saumur

Saumur is yet another beautiful small town situated on the Loire River. With an approximate population of around 35,000 people Saumur is another magnificent Loire Chateau town. As one of the less famous castles it misses some of the tourist traffic which makes Saumur a fantastic, if slightly quiter, place to visit.

Saumur is home to the Cadre Noir – the National School of Horsemanship (École Nationale d’Equitation) which is known for its annual horse shows.

Saumur is also the site of the officer school for armoured forces (tanks). The tank museum (Musée des Blindés) features more than 850 armoured vehicles – both wheeled and tracked. Most of the vehicles are French but there is also a selection from countries such as Brazil, Germany and Russia.

Saumur is the setting for famous French author Balzac’s novel; “Eugenie Grandet”, which he wrote in 1833.

The School of Saumur is the name used to denote a distinctive form of 17th century Reformed theology which was taught by Moses Amyraut.