Montsoreau guide - Pays de la Loire , France travel

Visitez Montsoreau : gites | hotels | location des voitures | explore Loire (west)

Montsoreau ('most beautiful villages of the Loire') is between Saumur and Chinon in the Maine-et-Loire department.

Tourist Information

Montsoreau is most renowned for its Chateau. This overlooks a quiet stretch of the River Loire. near the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers and at the base of a cliff. At this point, the Loire is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The chateau is now promoted as the 'Château de la Dame de Montsoreau' after the novel by Dumas that revolved around the castle (based on real events), and has recently been opened to the public. It is unusual in that it includes elements of being a fortified chateau and also elements of being a chateau built as a home.

The village itself was a troglodyte village, with the homes, doors and windows cut into the cliff and which as recently as the end of the 18th century provided homes to most of the villagers.

More recently, mushroom growers have taken over some of the larger man-made caves.

Canoeing, boat trips and fishing are popular activites in the village, which has most facilities.