Featured property

The Old Walnut Mill  Delightful, spacious 2 bedroom  19th Century Loire Valley house for rent in the peaceful village of Barrou in the department of Indre et Loire,France. The village’s location halfway between the regional capitals of Tours and Poitiers makes it an ideal base to explore the Loire Valley and Vienne. 

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Chateau Montreuil-Bellay lies ten miles south of Saumur overlooking the river Thouet. The earliest fortifications date back to the 11^th century. The current chateaux was added later, its fortified gateway leads to a 15^th century house which is worth a wonder round with the ancient wine cellars the highlight - no photographs can be taken inside the building.

It is a pleasurable walk through the gardens down to the river and there are some great views from the chateau.

  There is a good choice of restaurants by the chateau and the river.   You will also find by the river "Promenade J.R.R.Tolkien" which has given rise to the stories (untrue) of Montreuil-Bellay once being a holiday home of the writer and the chateau and its surroundings being inspirational in forming some of his literal locations.

The town of Montreuil-Bellay  retains almost all of its medieval walls, making it one of the last fortified towns of the Anjou region. It is well worth a visit as it still retains its medieval feel. Its strategic location on the borders of Anjou, Touraine and Poitou allowed the town to grow and have an important regional administrative function (subsequently transferred to Saumur) before the French Revolution, this accounts for the number of fine houses in the town.

During the French Revolution the castle was seized by the revolutionary government and used as a prison for women suspected of being royalists. In 1860 the daughter of Saumur businessman Adrien Niveleau, (who had bought it in 1822) undertook occupancy and set about a major restoration campaign, redoing some of the rooms in the Troubadour style. Descendants of her husband's nephew are the current owners of the property.

It was also used as a military hospital during the First World War.
 

The town has on open-air swimming pool open during May-September. 

 Château Montreuil-Bellay is also the name of  fine wines of the area produced from vines within the chateau grounds. The grapes, apparently harvested and sorted by hand, are made into wine  in the fifteenth-century wine cellars.

Le Festival « l’Art en Fête » à Montreuil-Bellay

Thursday, May 17 to Sunday, May 20 :
 

Concerts, street events, craft market…

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http://www.experienceloire.com/