Loire and heritage

48 hours in Montsoreau & Fontevraud-L'Abbaye

Montsoreau & Fontevraud-L'Abbaye

Castle, flowery alleys, troglodytes and old dwellings dominate the Loire-Vienne confluence. Adjoining Touraine and Poitou, Montsoreau is at the heart of the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park. Labeled among "The Most Beautiful Villages of France", it is a privileged tourist stage. Why not during the Puces de Montsoreau, the second Sunday of each month?

Day 1

10h - 11h : Visit the Castle of Montsoreau which houses the Philippe Méaille Collection, often described as one of the most important and radical collections of Conceptual Art in the world.
11h15 - 14h : Then go to Loire Wine Market where the appellations of the Loire Valley can be tasted through a journey of 10 oenological stages.
Have lunch at Saut-aux-Loups troglodyte restaurant, specialist in somersaults: Paris mushroom hat stuffed with rillettes, goat cheese, snail butter…
14h15 - 15h30 : On site, take the opportunity to visit the mushroom farm. Did you know that Saumurois produces almost 80% of button mushroom production?
16h - 17h30 : Take advantage of the late afternoon to let yourself be carried away by a traditional Loire boat

Day 2

10h - 11h : On the road between Montsoreau and Fontevraud, stop at the Martin de Candre soap factory where you will discover an artisanal know-how: the manufacture of 100% vegetable soaps.
11h15 - 12h30 : Discover the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye by taking the “heritage circuit”. It will allow you to understand the links of the village with the abbey. For lunch you will have the choice among the many tables offered by the village and the Abbey.
14h30 - 16h30 : Continue the discovery of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye by visiting its majestic Royal Abbey : the largest monastic complex in Europe preserved in its original state.
16 am - 30 pm : And for the curious or sensitive to craftsmanship, stop by Einav Benzano, jewelery artist or at Richard Leray, one of the last repositories of a rare medieval know-how: stencil art illumination.