Saumur Castle

You're standing at the Château de Saumur. Take a moment to look up. The castle sits high on a hill above the town, right where the river Thouet flows into the Loire. That's why it shapes so much of the view of Saumur. The spot wasn't chosen by chance. In the tenth century Theobald I, Count of Blois, built a fortified stronghold here to hold off Norman raids.