The 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.
Nestled in the Foret de Monnaie and surrounded by woodland, with its network of broad paths, it is a place where you can really get a breath of fresh air.
Scroll below for more information split into categories. Please note this page is being updated regularly (we are new to the area too, so are still finding out all the best things!)
You can see a little more about our Village of Mouliherne on their local website. www.mouliherne.com
Local Map
Things to do:
Nature
Being close to the longest river in France; the Loire, has its benefits. We are nestled in the National Park Loire-Anjou. Images taken from National Parc website.
Activities
Throughout summer 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. Image taken from Saumurs Canoe Club website.
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! Images taken from Saumur Forest Parc website.
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. Images taken from Husky Dream website.
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. Images taken from Saumur Chateau website.
Place St Pierre in Saumur is where you can find perfectly in-tact medieval houses and quaint cafes and restaurants. Images taken from Google Maps.
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. Images taken from Rochenmenier website.
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. Images taken from Musee des Blindes website.
Culture
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. Images taken from Cadre Noir website.
The mushroom museum in Saumur is also an 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. Images taken from Musee des Champignon’s website.
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. Images taken from Loire Valley Wine website.
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 (Once on the page, right click the mouse and select “translate to English”)
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 