The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
Cultural Meeting Centre since 1975, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud continues the ambition of the Ideal City desired by its founder. It welcomes visitors, resident artists, and congress attendees daily. Cultural programming, exhibitions, and digital innovations invite everyone to have their own Fontevraud experience.
Located in the Fannerie building, a historical monument, Fontevraud has been home to a Museum of Modern Art since May 2021. Thanks to the donation from collectors Martine and Léon Cligman and the support of the Pays de la Loire Region, enjoy a rich and original collection of over 900 works. This donation enriches Fontevraud's heritage and cultural dimension, being the oldest meeting center created nearly 50 years ago.
Founded in 1101 at the borders of Anjou, Touraine, and Poitou, Fontevraud owes its strength to the Plantagenets and its close ties with Eleanor of Aquitaine. Queen of France and then England, she spent her last years here. Her effigy stands at the heart of the abbey church alongside those of Henry II Plantagenet and Richard the Lionheart.
Ticket prices from €6 to €15, Free for children and students under 25 years.
Recommended duration 2 to 3 hours
The Royal Fortress of Chinon
The Royal Fortress of Chinon was built between the 10th and 15th century. Its layout invites you to enjoy a playful and interactive visit in one of the most prestigious medieval fortresses of the Loire Valley, meeting great figures of history: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc...
Overlooking the old town of Chinon and its medieval atmosphere, Chinon and its fortress is a beautiful trip to make by bicycle from Candes-Saint-Martin.
Full price: €8.50 Reduced price: €6.50 Free for children under 7.
Recommended duration: 1 to 2 hours
Reservation: 02 47 93 13 45
The Castle of Montsoreau
The only Loire Valley Castle built in the riverbank, Montsoreau Castle was constructed in 1450 by Jean II de Chambes, close advisor to King Charles VII.
Transformed into a contemporary art museum and inaugurated in April 2016, Montsoreau Castle is a new venue offering a tour through its permanent collection composed of Art & Language works.
Just a 10-minute walk from the village of Candes-Saint-Martin, it is an original stop during a stroll to Montsoreau and its charming village.
Adult price €10.70; Child price from 5 to 18 years old €6.70.
Reservation: 02 41 67 12 60
The Flea Market of Montsoreau
The Charm of antiques on the river banks of the Loire…
The second Sunday of the month in Montsoreau is sacred: the Loire offers its royal setting to the famous Flea Market. Thousands of antique dealers and collectors flock to the quays of the small character-filled town on the border between Anjou and Touraine. Collectors arrive at dawn, hoping to land the rare gem by navigating between the stalls. True enthusiasts or mere strollers, all come to admire ancient books, trinkets, lace, furniture… and enjoy the magic of the river.
It is now a tradition; in May, the Montsoreau Flea Market adorns itself in spring attire with the theme Nature and Gardens. For the occasion, exhibitors, all professionals, set up even in the alleys leading to the Castle dear to Dumas. Among numerous activities and tastings, the tuffeau city will resonate to the delight of lovers of beautiful creations.
Do not miss this colourful event at Montsoreau, just a stone's throw from Candes-Saint-Martin.
The BioParc in Doué-la-Fontaine
40 minutes' drive from Candes-Saint-Martin, this extraordinary zoo is home to over 1700 animals representing around a hundred species
The Bioparc offers an exceptional natural setting, dedicated to the protection of endangered species. Tunnels carved into the rock shift you from one world to another. A journey rich in emotions through a true mineral and vegetal labyrinth!
An unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Day ticket (2023), Adult or Child aged 11 years and above €24.40
Child from 3 to 10 years €19.10
Visit duration: from 4 hours to a whole day
Recommended last visit time: 2 hours before closing.
Booking : 02 41 59 18 58
The Street Art Park of Château de Candes
On the Loire à Vélo path and the Compostela route, the Street Art Park of the Château de Candes is a unique place where urban art meets a wooded park of 5ha. For 4 years, the estate has hosted artistic residencies that offer street art artists the opportunity to express themselves far from the city walls, in an exceptional natural setting. Throughout the seasons, the park turns into a true open-air gallery, inviting visitors to take a walk where contemporary art interacts with nature.
Open from late April to late December, from 10am to 7pm.
The Castle of Brézé
These are ten centuries of history that have made Brézé an extraordinary castle. The tour will lead you through various places where a unique atmosphere still lingers. You will discover the largest dry moats in Europe, a unique troglodytic complex as well as the elegant Renaissance residence.
Discover the private apartments during your visit. The billiard room, the neo-Gothic dining room, the Grand Salon...
Open from February to June and from September to December from 10am to 6pm and in July and August from 9:30am to 7pm.
Prices range from €7 to €19.50 and free for children under 7 years. To see all available rates, go to the website via the link provided on the page.
For more information: 02 41 51 60 15
The Castle of Rigny-Ussé
Once upon a time, there was a fairy-tale-like castle overlooking the Indre and the Loire... so wonderful that it inspired Charles Perrault for his Sleeping Beauty.
Young and old, come immerse yourselves in the castle life and the scenes of this fairy tale that come to life before your eyes. Follow in the footsteps of Vauban, Perrault, Chateaubriand, Le Nôtre, and the Blacas, who still inhabit this illustrious château in the Loire Valley today.
2024:
29 March to 30 September: 10 AM – 7 PM
1 October to 11 November: 10 AM – 6 PM
Prices range from €7 to €14.50, free for children under 8.
Reservation: +33 2 47 95 54 05
The Mystery of the Faluns, an invitation to travel between science and poetry
In the troglodyte site of Perrières, the scenography of the Mystery of the Faluns unfolds within the cathedral-like caves with pointed arches 20 metres high. Sound and light invite you for a dive 10 million years in the past, into the sea of faluns.
In this old stone quarry, you will discover the secrets of the geological formation of this shell-bearing rock and the majestic and original architecture of these caves, the result of human labour.
From 15th June to 15th September: 10am-7pm. Every day. Entrance accessible until 5:45pm.
From 16th September to 11th November: 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-6pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance accessible until 5pm.
Rates range from 5 to 8€ and free for children under 5 years old.
The Château de Saumur
Resting on its "emerald rock" for René I of Anjou, the Château de Saumur, which has hosted both kings and prisoners within its walls, is one of the most beautiful and last intact examples of princely architecture from the Middle Ages.
Possessed by the Counts of Anjou and then the Plantagenets, it was transformed into a royal fortress at the beginning of the 13th century during the reign of King Saint Louis. In the second half of the 14th century, Duke Louis I of Anjou (brother of King Charles V) transformed it into a sumptuous castle-palace. The miniature depicting it in the famous "Très riches heures du duc de Berry" gives us a precise image.
In 2024:
From April 1st to June 30th and from September 1st to September 30th, from Tuesday to Sunday and public holiday Mondays from 10 am to 6 pm.
From July 1st to August 31st, 7 days a week, from 10 am to 7 pm. Open on July 14th and August 15th.
The Château of Azay-le-Rideau
This XVIth-century masterpiece is surrounded by a romantic 8-hectare park, and stands on an island shaped by the Indre. The river also feeds a reflecting pool, desired by Marquis Charles de Biencourt.
Inside, the Château of Azay-le-Rideau boasts prestigious historical décor retracing 4 centuries of France's history, as well as sumptuous collections of objects, tapestries, and furniture.
The romantic park offers numerous viewpoints of the monument, and an interpretation area is accessible to all visitors (Le Pressoir).
Open from Sunday to Tuesday from 9:30 am to 7 pm and from Wednesday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 11 pm.
Adult admission is 13 euros and free for those under 18 years old and for European students under 26 years old outside of school periods.
For more information: 02 47 45 42 04
The Château of Langeais
Former royal estate and property of the Institut de France, it is part of the great sites of the Loire Valley. Close to Tours and in the heart of the Loire Valley, it offers a visit of fifteen rooms arranged with richly carved medieval furniture. You will discover a collection of tapestries and the re-enactment of the royal wedding of Anne of Brittany narrated by Stéphane Bern. Langeais, a Loire castle dating from the Renaissance period, will surprise you with its park planted with cedars and sequoias as well as its playful facilities.
Subdued atmosphere of the rooms, splendour of the reception rooms: at Langeais, you will be immersed in the daily life of a 15th-century prince; you will relive the event that will mark the location’s history: the wedding of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany. In the park, you will discover the reconstructed site of the oldest keep in France.
The Castle is open:
– In February and March from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
– From April to June and from September to November 12 from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm
– In July and August from 9 am to 7 pm
– From November 13 to January from 10 am to 5 pm
– During the Christmas holidays from 10 am to 5:30 pm and on Christmas Day from 2 pm to 5 pm
Tickets range from €5.80 to €11.50 and free for children under 10.
For more information: 02.47.96.72.60
