Pays de la Loire · Maine-et-Loire, France

Château de Saumur

The fairy-tale silhouette immortalised in the September page of the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry — a princely castle of the Dukes of Anjou crowning the town and the Loire below, later a governor's residence, prison and barracks, now the town's museum.

At a glance

Built: 14th century (on older foundations)
Style: Late-medieval princely castle
Commissioned by: Louis I, Duke of Anjou
Signature feature: The pinnacled skyline painted in the Très Riches Heures (c. 1440)
Builder: Louis I of Anjou, brother of Charles V
Later lives: Protestant governor Duplessis-Mornay's stronghold; prison; cavalry depot
Today: Museum of the town of Saumur (decorative arts and the horse)
Visiting: Open to visitors (seasonal calendar)