Loire Valley: a different walk between castles, vintage vans and troglodyte villages

• Malta Popeye's Village, this is the most beautiful new town in the world

• Getaway Brissac Castle, the tallest in France: seven floors, an adultery and a ghost

In

the charming medieval city in central western France known as the Pearl of Anjou,

herself was born in 1883... albeit with the wrong last name.

At the civil registry they got involved and she ended up registered as

.

She would stay that way for years until the most influential fashion designer in history took it upon herself to remove the "s" and, by the way, add Bonheur (Happiness) as a middle name.

also passed through this beautiful town

to set up his Cavalry Academy after the bishop of nearby Angers would not let him do it there.

And in Saumur

wrote the novel

.

There is more, since from here came the thousands and thousands of tons of the characteristic

necessary to build the majestic castles of the Loire Valley (and there are more than 300...), located in the middle and lower reaches of the homonymous river and converted into watchword of one of the most visited destinations in the neighboring country.

UNESCO declared it

to much of this fluvial enclave between vineyards, mills, cycle routes, four natural parks and 215 kilometers of beaches.

Bike ride along the banks of the Loire.C.

MARTIN/ANJOU TOURISME

Of course, on this route we are left with its lesser-known side, the one that runs between

, with stops at wineries and troglodyte villages.

It is the area closest to the ocean, which is why in Spanish it is called

(in French, País del Loira).

Here we will not find castles as famous as those of Chambord or Amboise on the other side of the valley, but we will find some just as spectacular (or more) from the same period, the

of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the royal court moved to banks of the Loire.

The castle of the aforementioned Saumur is an example.

Its silhouette rises above the entire city (30,000 inhabitants), so it can be seen from any corner.

Fortress,

.. Everything has been.

Up to the current headquarters of two apparently disparate museums, that of the Decorative Arts and that of the Horse, heritage of Bonaparte's passage.

The equestrian tradition is maintained to this day, with the

, one of the most prestigious in Europe.

Panoramic view of the city of Saumur.M.

CHAIGNEAU/ANJOU TOURISME

The choice of the city by Napoleon was accompanied by the arrival of high-ranking officials from all over the country, which led to the embellishment of

at a forced pace.

"Monumental buildings such as the Italian-style theater

mansions, schools for rich children, elegant avenues between the stables..." explains Karine Gautier, founder of Loire Vintage Discovery, a company that organizes

around the area.

Like Jean-Claude, a coquettish red Volkswagen from 1969. "The name was given by her owner, a man from Normandy who took care of her like a son. We have another called Claudine."

Saumur, the 'vintage' capital of France

It should be noted that Saumur is the vintage capital of France,

with a festival that brings together 20,000 visitors each summer with

or

steps and old bikes

.

In addition to the castle, Jean-Claude passes through the main points of interest in the city such as the churches of

and Saint-Pierre, surrounded by classic medieval half-timbered houses, km0 cuisine restaurants (

is highly recommended, with products from local farms and orchards) and terraces where you can taste rosé wines such as sparkling

or

Pier on the banks of the river Loire.S.

GOUDARD/ANJOU TOURISME

Not surprisingly, wine tourism is one of the strengths of the Loire Valley, as it is the country's third largest wine region, with 27 appellations of origin and an 800-kilometre route.

This can be followed aboard a

like

or by bike, another of the region's hallmarks.

Then there would be the rides on horseback, in a balloon, motorhome, motorcycle, boat...

Along the way, cellars appear at every turn, including those hidden in

Like those of Brézé (with the deepest dry pit in Europe: 18 meters) or

, in whose vaulted cellars they carry out tastings.

It also has a barbican, moat, wall, walkway and house of canons.

One of the rooms of the Château de Noirieux.

At its feet is

a haute cuisine restaurant with an eco stamp built in a 15th-century inn where you can taste its poularde, white veal or the

The wine list includes 350 references.

Before dessert, yes or yes, you have to order the cheese board.

The bistro overlooks the Loire, so it's time to get on a

the typical flat-bottomed boat to sail

shallow, but as bucolic as it is dangerous due to its tremendous currents.

During the walk you can have breakfast, have an aperitif accompanied by a rosé,

and even sleep in a ship with a built-in cabin (

).

It is time to visit another castle, but not just any castle, but that of Brissac,

48 meters from the moat to the top of the last tower.

And in between, seven floors,

, a theater, a wine cellar, an English garden, a drawbridge and even a ghost.

Yes, that of Duchess Charlotte de Valois, daughter of

who was murdered in her bedroom after being caught with her lover by her husband,

son of a king's minister to be exact .

.

The Apocalypse Tapestry from the castle of Angers.

The fact is that the offended husband did not think twice and killed them both (the man was also his close friend) with his sword.

It happened in the 16th century and they say that, since then, there hasn't been

without

swarming around dressed in white.

That has not prevented the current Dukes of Brissac from living quietly in the residential area.

a movie set

is also inhabited

.

Specifically, its owners occupy three apartments on the top floor of the main building.

Commissioned 500 years ago by

Jean Bourré, it is one of the most photogenic palaces in the valley (see image on the previous page) due to the reflection of its splendid façade in the water of the moats.

It has also triumphed in cinema as the setting for period films such as

(with

), The

, by Bertrand Tabernier, or

, starring

.

"The actress loved the used carriage chair and asked to be given rides in it. She even wanted to buy it," says guide Cécile Marcueyz.

Interior of the new museum of the abbey of Fontevraud.PAUL CHABOT

15 kilometers away is the luminous Angers, the largest city on the route (160,000 inhabitants) and capital of

(now the department of Maine et Loire).

A place with a promenade called the

(dotted with pleasant terraces where you can sit and watch it go by) is already advancing its historical profile.

And it is that Angers brims with art on every side, which has earned it the title of

.

As a sample button is its castle (it couldn't not have one...), which houses the most important set of medieval tapestries in the world, that of the Apocalypse.

Inspired by the book of Saint John, "it is six meters high and only 104 meters long remain of the 840 it once had. If it is spectacular now, imagine

A person took more than a month to weave one meter", remembers the art expert Julie Hénault in front of the enormous tapestry, exhibited piece by piece in a large quadrangular room in semi-darkness.

The contemporary replica, more critical and hooligan, is in the

the most famous upholsterer in France.

It is one of the cultural essentials of the city along with the Episcopal Palace, the Adam's House or the David D'Angers gallery.

The typical 'galipettes' of the troglodyte area of ​​the valley.

It's time to get to know another castle,

but this time to sleep.

It is a

built with the elegant tuff stone and slate roofs of the rest in the middle of the countryside, between vineyards and sheep.

Spending the night in any of its 19 rooms decorated in the 17th century is a trip to the past.

And what a past.

The

in the fireplace lounge and the local delicacies in its

complete the experience.

Also the perfect egg served at breakfast.

That is to say: cooked at 63º for 63 minutes.

The largest abbey in Europe

The next stop is at the largest abbey in Europe, Fontevraud, which opened its Museum of Modern Art a few months ago in the old stables, a jewel with more than 900 works by

mixed with pre-Columbian objects .

, Mesopotamian or African.

The abbey also has a five-star hotel and a Michelin-starred restaurant where its chef, Thibaut Ruggeri, prepares the menu based on the cycle of the moon, convinced that the moon influences food.

Interior of one of the Turquant caves.

The walk ends in troglodyte villages such as

whose ancestral caves hide

, shops, wineries, art galleries, museums (such as the

or

to keep them preserved) and restaurants such as Le Caveau.

In this one, as a climax, you have to try the

(giant mushrooms) and the

, small loaves baked in a

front of the diner stuffed with everything: broad beans, cheese, pork, butter...

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET

Iberia

flies to Nantes from Spain from 60 euros.

WHERE TO SLEEP

Château de Noirieux.

A beautiful 17th century Relais & Châteaux in the middle of the countryside with an excellent restaurant.

From 110 euros per night.

Fontevraud L'Hôtel.

Five stars at Fontevraud Abbey, the largest in Europe.

From 115 euros.

WHERE TO EAT

Bistrot des 3 Lieux

(Les Ponts de Ce).

Delicious local dishes in an old fishing equipment factory on the banks of the Loire.

Le Caveau

.

(Doue-la-Fontaine).

Restaurant located inside a troglodyte cave with a wood oven.

Fontevraud Le Restaurant.

Essence cuisine with a Michelin star.

menu

.

MORE INFORMATION

On the websites of the Tourist Offices of Pays de la Loire and Anjou Tourisme.

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