Nestled in the Foret de Monnaie and surrounded by woodland, our campsite is midway between the small villages of Vernantes and Mouliherne and only a stone throw from the beautiful and bustling town of Saumur. There are plenty of places to explore in this quiet corner of Anjou in the Loire Valley, with its network of broad paths, it is a place where you can really get a breath of fresh air.
Onsite Information Centre
If you’re on site, you can also visit our new information centre, added in 2024, which has maps, walking routes, cycling paths, helpful books and leaflets of everything to do in the local region. Plus a quiet and cool place to relax and access WiFi.
Local Map
Things to do:
Nature
We are nestled in the National Park Loire-Anjou. Walk out of the campsite and you are immediately in rural France on the border of the Anjou Forest. Here we have many animals like deer, red squirrels, wild boar, pine martens, countless European birds including redstarts, buzzards, Eurasian hoopoes, nightjars, golden orioles and many owl species. And even interesting insects such as praying mantis, iridescent dung beetles, stag beetles and beautiful butterflies.
We love our local deer (except when they raid our potager!) and have a camera trap set-up to watch them on site!
Images from our on-site camera trap, our pictures, and contributed by David Davies
Nature further afield
Head further out and you will find the Loire river with it’s unique habitats where you can find king fishers, herons, otters and even beavers.
Stargazing
We are fortunate to be located in one of Europe’s least light-polluted regions, offering some of the most breathtaking night skies in the world. On a clear night, a long-exposure photograph will reveal the heart of the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and other iconic celestial wonders, making it a paradise for stargazers.
Images contributed by David Davies (@scratbox) include those of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) and the night sky in October 2024
Canoe and Kayak
Throughout summer you can kayak or canoe along the Loire Valley, with boats, kayaks and canoes available to hire in many of the towns and villages. The Saumur Canoe Club rents out kayaks and canoes from €13pp. This activity is seasonal and may only be available in July and August.
Unique Adventures
Or why not go ziplining or do a tree-top safari (aka “accrobranche”) at Saumur Forest Parc. Prices are €23pp for adults and they also have outdoor paintballing and laser-tag inside a troglodyte cave!
There’s also local dog-sled driving! A local company; Husky Dream, allows you to ride a wheeled sled pulled by huskys along their forest trail. Prices are €150 for a family sled.
History and monuments
Saumur’s Chateau has to be one of the most striking features in the Loire valley and is open to the public for €5-6pp.
Place St Pierre in Saumur is where you can find perfectly in-tact medieval houses and quaint cafes and restaurants.
The tank museum or “Musee des Blindes” is also quite popular in the region. Located in Saumur it costs €8.50pp and tells the history of the use of armoured vehicles in conflict.
Culture
Throughout the Loire Valley there are an abundance of troglodyte dwellings dug into the rock of the landscape. They are built into soft ‘Tuffeau’ stone and are a result of local people’s desire to live within nature. The closest, and possibly more interesting troglodyte dwelling is at Rochemenier Village just outside Saumur. It’s a 45 minutes drive and costs €6.50pp.
France’s National equestrian school and the Cadre Noir is only 30 minutes drive away and costs around €6pp for a ‘Classic visit’ – where you can fully appreciate of the work involved in training a horse, jumping, guiding in long reins and classical French riding. They also have regular larger shows and galas. Check their timetable for more info.
Mushroom growing is also popular in the region, and the mushroom museum in Saumur is a fun experience. Here they grow standard and wild mushrooms in a troglodyte cave setting in large sacks! The entry price for full access to the museum is €15pp.
Set in rural France, there are many small and traditional French villages nearby. The closest are Vernantes and Mouliherne, where you can visit the village centres, churches, boulangeries (bread and pastry shops) and plans d’eaus (village parks or lakes).
Food and Drink
We would always recommend looking at TripAdvisor for great local restaurants in the area, but if you’re looking for an evening meal a little special perhaps try these:
- La Table des Fouées – dining inside a trolodyte cave!
- Saumur 1929 Restaurant – Top-rated for Vegetarian and Vegans.
Near the Cadre Noir are some of the region’s oldest sparkling wine producers, including Bouvet Ladubay, which offers tours for just €2pp. Visit https://loirevalleywine.com/ for more information.
Shopping
Daily pop-up markets are a beautiful French tradition, they usually happen on 1 or 2 set days of the week and sell a range of things from groceries and fresh meat to clothes and antiques. Local markets to us include:
| Sunday | Angers, Montsoreau, Saumur, Chinon, Langeais, and Tours |
| Monday | Baugé, Doue-la-Fontaine |
| Tuesday | Angers, Bourgueil, Montbazon and Tours |
| Wednesday | Angers, Fonteuraud l’Abbaye, Saumur, Montbazon and Tours |
| Thursday | Angers, Saumur, Chinon, Montbazon and Tours |
| Friday | Angers, Saumur, Montbazon, Tours and Vouvray |
| Saturday | Saumur, Chinon, Montbazon and Tours |
Local services
For those bringing a dog, our local veterinarian will administer your worming treatment and sign the passport before your return to the UK for a €20 charge. You can also purchase worming treatments from the clinic. We can book this for you.
Other helpful websites
www.mouliherne.com Our local village website has much more information about the local area. (Once on the page, right click the mouse and select “translate” to your language).
http://uk.france.fr/en/information/saumur
If you would like us to feature your business, please let us know, we are happy to provide our visitors with as much information as possible.
Camping La Fortinerie 