Saumur: River & Castle Run

This is typical Loire Valley run, incorporating two castles and paths along two rivers in the town of Saumur, which lies between Angers and Chinon. Overall, our tour is ~13 km.

Start at the Saumur Tourist Office, and head west along the Loire River — the road has a decent sidewalk with nice water views. After 1 km at the D347, there’s a gravel path that continues west along the Loire for another 2 km, to a break and intersection with the Thouet River. Continue along the path heading south on the Thouet, which includes a section along the tree-lined Rue Breil. The path along the Thouet goes for 5.5 km, then turn right, continuing along a path to Rue de Bac and a glimpse of the Château de la Perrière. Past the castle, run back toward town on Chemin de la Perrière, cross back over the river onto the main road, Rue du Maréchal Leclerc, then RIGHT on Rue Bodin (11 km mark), to the Château de Saumur, a hilltop medieval fort of the Dukes of Anjou, now a museum. Enjoy a jaunt around the grounds, and then run on Rue Remparts back toward the river to conclude the run.

Options & Add-Ons: For a shorter run, eliminate some sections of the rive path. For a longer run/add-on, run over the Pont de Saumur, enjoying nice views of town, and onto L’Île d’Offard, which has a nice path headed east along the river.