The hidden world of Anjou

Funny region! Known for its wines - 20,000 ha of vines -, its gardens and nurseries, its abbeys and castles, it hides real treasures in its underground passages. The extraction of the beautiful tufa stones which were used for the construction of the castles of the Loire, left vast underground galleries.

These large underground rooms served as shelter for people in times of war, as culture rooms for mushrooms, as storage cellars for wine, and as living quarters. Today, there are artists' studios, exhibition spaces, original guest rooms, a hotel, restaurants.
In the plain or in the heart of the Saumur hillside, the "troglos" are everywhere. In the plain, the peasants dug the ground to extract the "falun", a marine sediment used to fertilize the fields. Do not hesitate to take a look over low walls and fences to discover, below, access to farms and houses built under the fields. The finest example is in the village of Rochemenier.

Falun mysteries

To better understand the creation of this underground world, head to Doué-la-Fontaine and its Perrières site. The old quarries, dug in the 18th century, created huge halls. A scenic route, "The mystery of the faluns", makes the visit an unforgettable and impressive moment.

It's an imaginary journey into the distant past, between dream and scientific reality. Magic !
More "intimate", the site "Troglodytes & Sarcophagi". In the company of Philippe, we set off to discover the underground fortifications which allowed the inhabitants to hide from the Vikings. During the visit, the clearing work revealed the remains of a chapel, "cathedral" cellars, a shelter from the last war and, above all, this former Merovingian quarry from the 5th century, where monolithic sarcophagi!

stones and mushrooms

Change of scenery in Turquant, a pretty village that has taken advantage of its troglodyte heritage. The galleries dug into the hillside overlooking the Loire, house workshops of craftsmen, restaurants.
Another marvel is found in troglodyte galleries in Saumur.

It is a miniature park which presents some of the jewels of the Loire Valley sculpted in the tufa stone. Castles, abbeys, churches and villages are represented in great detail. Hundreds of tons of stone were thus cut, cut, chiseled.

In a neighboring gallery, it is another world that surprises: that of mushrooms. They grow button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake, pied-bleu and other scalp mushrooms. Several troglodyte restaurants cultivate button mushrooms. Couldn't get cooler!

Fortress and dwellings

Thousands of kilometers of underground pass through the plain and the Saumur hillside. The dwellings and cellars that have been fitted out have housed both peasants and lords. Beneath the Château de Brézé stretches the largest underground seigniorial structure in Europe with a moat and a whole network of rooms.

At the end of the 18th century, nearly half of the population of southern Saumur lived underground! But in the 19th century, these dwellings were abandoned: not chic enough, not comfortable enough, my son...
Since the 1980s, troglodyte dwellings have come back into fashion. Living in these spaces which seem to have a life of their own, adapting the layout to the curves of the stone, has something unusual but also a crazy charm. We taste the silence, thinking of the men who dug these galleries, to live out of time. We then gladly adapt to the fine dust that emerges from the rock, sometimes to the humidity which requires a good ventilation system. An unexpected and wonderful discovery!

BIOPARC: A refuge for endangered species

Cliffs, lush vegetation, wild animals. Embark on a walking safari through an incredible living space carved into the earth. From the entrance, we look in vain for animal enclosures. It's just that we don't make fun of the African look that the zoo shop gives itself. But after just a few steps, you forget all your prejudices to dive into the heart of this private park where the animals can believe themselves (almost) in their natural environment.

For visitors, it's the start of a wonderful walking safari. A path descends to the heart of the old shell stone quarries, an open-air troglodyte site. It is the islands and spaces created by the quarries that form the vast enclosures where the different species of animals live together, a bit like in nature, even if the Sumatran tigers and the Sri Lankan panthers do not have access to the sanctuary. okapis! At the exit of each underground passage, another world awaits visitors with rare animals such as okapis or red pandas. Waterfalls, streams, wooded areas, sometimes exuberant vegetation create a change of scenery. Just like the sculptures made in wood species as surprising as lychee roots. They are the work of artists who are regularly invited and who come from countries where the Bioparc intervenes in the protection of nature and animals.

Andean condor and safari lodge

The most impressive “career”? Unquestionably the great South American aviary, probably unique in Europe. 500 birds representing 30 species frolic in (almost) complete freedom in this one-hectare space covered with a net 20 meters from the ground. Even the Andean condors have enough room to fly there! Parrots eye suspiciously visitors who pass by their nests which they have dug in the rock. And when a vulture hovers above your head, you wouldn't be surprised to see a cowboy appear from behind the cliffs...

After so many emotions, it's time to reach the main restaurant whose layout is worthy of an explorer film. Observing the giraffe camp from its terrace, you definitely feel like you are in the movie Out of Africa! This "park of life" was created in 1961 by Louis Gray. His son Pierre and his grandson François perpetuate his investment in the protection of natural environments and the species that live there. Several “nature projects” are thus carried out around the world.

By bicycle in the cellars of the Bouvet-Ladubay house

There is no shortage of wine estates in the Loire Valley. Bouvet-Ladubay was the first house to produce sparkling wines using the traditional method in Saumur. A short tasting visit is therefore essential. Especially since the heart of the estate beats in the "sunken cathedral", dug a thousand years ago by monks in the tufa to build the abbey "La Belle d'Anjou".

To discover these vast cellars with their monumental sculptures, there's nothing like... cycling! No wonder: the founder of the house, Étienne Bouvet, had contributed to the creation of the Saumur velodrome at the end of the 19th century. No need to come with your two-wheeler, the House provides vintage bicycles. During a fun five-kilometre walk, you learn all about the production of sparkling wine – which you will taste after the visit.