At the foot of the hillside and on the Loire riverside, the charming village of Turquant looks like born from tufa stone. Many kilometres of galleries have been dug into this limestone, hiding the troglodytic way of life.
Follow the signs along the trail to discover this astonishing civilisation. On the first stop, you will learn all about the profession of the "perreyeux" (quarrymen). Continue your walk to take a break in the village of arts and crafts where sculptors and other artists work in their cool caves.
Then ramble up the hillside to learn more about the daily life in a troglodytic village, to understand the strange shape of our wind mills or to imagine you were a bargee on the Loire. The visit continues in the famous vineyards of Saumur-Champigny.
The village of Turquant truly is worth the detour! This small town of character is packed with caves and troglodytic houses. Carry on to the harbour of Turquant and enjoy the beautiful panorama of the Loire and its bird ballets.
After your walk, stop over at “La Grande Vignolle” to taste and buy some wine. It’s the only troglodytic seigneurial residence on a hillside you can actually visit in the Loire valley.
You can also find an extraordinary dovecote dating back to the 16th century there.
