MONTSOREAU

Situated in the Anjou region, Montsoreau is listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France".

Situated at the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers, in the heart of the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Nature Park, a major river stopover, Montsoreau offers a gentle way of life.

Two villages once stood side by side: Rest, a fishing village, and Montsoreau, an ancient walled town built around its 15th-century château, made famous by Alexandre Dumas and his "dame". The town's maze of flower-lined lanes leads you through troglodyte caves, old bargemen's cottages (15th to 19th century), a church "saved from the waters", a château, mills, the Palais de la Sénéchaussée, the Puits Fontaine... and still offers magnificent views of the river. Marked walking, horse-riding and cycling trails wind through the village, vineyards and quays. Montsoreau also reveals its intangible heritage, with an introduction to boule de fort and tastings of local produce (Saumur-Champigny and mushrooms grown in the tufa stone cellars).