The Black Frame of Saumur
Interpretation Center

The Black Frame of Saumur

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For almost two centuries, in the heart of the Loire Valley and Anjou, the Cadre Noir has embodied and brought to life the excellence of horse riding in the French tradition, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

About us

Heir to a prestigious military past and relying on an ancestral equestrian culture, the Cadre Noir perpetuates its training mission, organizes and participates in competitions up to the international level and contributes to the research effort. It promotes and disseminates horse riding in the French tradition listed by Unesco as an intangible world heritage of humanity by offering a program of visits, Mornings and Galas in Saumur but also in France and abroad.

Brands & Labels
Trademarks & labels | Tourism Quality
Trademarks & labels | Tourism Quality

Duration:

From: 15 / 04 / 24 To: 31 / 08 / 24
  • Monday :
    from 14AM to 00PM
  • Tuesday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
  • Wednesday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
  • Thursday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
  • Friday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
  • On Saturday:
    from 09AM to 30PM
  • Sunday:
    closed

Please note: visits only possible in the afternoon during the Matinales du Cadre Noir.

From: 01 / 09 / 24 To: 02 / 11 / 24
  • Monday :
    from 14AM to 00PM
  • Tuesday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
    and from 14 p.m. to 00 p.m.
  • Wednesday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
    and from 14 p.m. to 00 p.m.
  • Thursday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
    and from 14 p.m. to 00 p.m.
  • Friday :
    from 09AM to 30PM
    and from 14 p.m. to 00 p.m.
  • On Saturday:
    from 09AM to 30PM
  • Sunday:
    closed

Please note: visits only possible in the afternoon during the Matinales du Cadre Noir.

Exceptional closure(s): January 1, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, May 1, May 8, July 14, August 15, November 1 (Toussaint), November 11, December 25

Limited gauge for your comfort. Reservation required on the days of Matinales and Galas. Reservation strongly recommended the rest of the season.

Prices

From: 12 / 02 / 24 To: 02 / 11 / 24
  • Adult 8.50€
  • Kids 6.50€
  • Student fee 6.50€
  • Jobseeker 6.50€
  • Big family - 2 adults + 2 children from 4 to 15 years old 28€
  • Disabled 6.50€
  • Adult group 7.50€
  • Children group 5.50€

Brochures with prices available on www.cadrenoir.fr, Free for children under: 4 years old, Minimum age for children: 4 years, Maximum age for children: 15 years

  • Payment Methods: Bank/credit card, Cheque, Chèque-Vacances Classic, Cash, Transfer, Online payment

Pratical information

Spoken languages
  • Français
  • German
  • English
  • Spanish
Services
  • Motorhomes allowed
Customer assistance / transport
  • Coach access
Rental / Loan
  • Room rentals
Shops
  • Shop
Visit
  • Guided tours
Customer support / practice
  • Accessible by stroller
Equipments
  • Meeting room
Parking
  • Parking
  • Free parking
  • Coach parking
Interior equipment
  • Toilets

The history of the Cadre Noir begins in 1815, the date of creation of a "school of troops on horseback" in Saumur. We are in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars and the objective is to reform the troops on horseback. The mission of this school is to train instructors for all cavalry corps. Among the teaching staff there are great squires, civilians, from the Armories of Versailles, the Tuileries or Saint-Germain.
At that time, the primary objective of this prestigious school was to train cavalry officers and non-commissioned officers to train horses for war. An equestrian doctrine was thus founded in 1825, the Cadre Noir being the guarantor. It follows the academic principles inherited from the school of Versailles and will then tend towards a more natural and energetic form.
In the XNUMXth century, the cavalry experienced a revolution: mechanization. At the same time, equestrian sports are developing and are beginning to become known to the general public. This is how the Cadre Noir tends towards the sporting discipline by continuing to present its collective high school covers.
In the 70s, horse riding for leisure and sport experienced extraordinary growth. It is in this context that France decided to organize the teaching of riding. She wants to create a school whose goal would be to prepare for state diplomas in teaching horse riding and to support the development of high-level sport. The Ministry in charge of Sports is thus entrusted with the National Riding School created in 1972 by decree. The institution has logically relied on the know-how and knowledge of the riders of the Cadre Noir. The latter goes from military status to civilian status.
In 2010, the French Institute for Horses and Riding was born, the result of the merger between the National Riding School and the National Stud Farms. It is a public establishment placed under the dual supervision of the ministries responsible for sports and agriculture.

Adapted tourism criteria
  • Wheelchair accessible with assistance
  • Accessible for self-propelled wheelchairs
  • hard coating
  • Accessible entrance
  • Site, building fully accessible
  • Possibility to drop someone off in front of the site
  • Reception staff made aware of the reception of people with disabilities
Description of motor handicap

Total accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
Rolling tour circuit, carousel accessible for presentations and galas (by reservation).
The horses are visible if they do not remain at the back of their boxes.
Toilets and shop accessible.
Accessibility conditions available on accessible.net.

Contact information

170 avenue du Cadre noir
Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent
49400 Saumur