Super U
Doué-en-Anjou
Adresse
Équipements et services
Description
Tourisme
Doué-en-Anjou (Maine-et-Loire, France)
Doué-en-Anjou stretches across a tuffeau landscape shaped by quarrying. The municipality brings together several villages and hamlets around Doué-la-Fontaine, offering a mix of troglodyte villages, vineyard-covered slopes and natural areas. The mineral history of the Loire Valley is felt in the cliffs, carved gardens and underground passages. The local terroir and proximity to Saumur make it a convenient stop to discover rural Anjou.
Heritage and history
The limestone subsoil dictated settlement: there are extensive troglodyte quarries, former extraction sites converted into dwellings, cellars or cultural venues. These spaces bear witness to tuffeau extraction techniques and the local adaptation to the landscape. Traces of medieval occupation and rural activities punctuate the town centre’s buildings.
Nature and landscapes
The tuffeau slopes alternate between vineyards, meadows and light woods. The cliffs and quarries offer unusual viewpoints over the Anjou countryside. Walks often follow paths that descend to cavities, small underground gardens or planted mounds.
Activities and gastronomy
The region is part of the AOC Anjou for wines; nearby estates offer tastings and visits. Walking and cycling, exploring troglodyte cellars and local markets punctuate a stay. Local cuisine highlights farm products and Loire Valley specialties.
Culture and leisure
The area occasionally organises events focused on the underground heritage and gardens. Museums and neighbouring institutions (notably in Saumur) complement the cultural offerings for those wishing to deepen their knowledge of regional history.
Not to miss
- ZooParc de Doué-la-Fontaine: a zoological park set in the quarries, notable for its troglodyte setting.
- Quarries and troglodytes: routes to explore galleries, cellars and tuffeau workings.
- Wine slopes (Anjou): tastings and visits of nearby estates.
- Hikes on the tuffeau cliffs: viewpoints and mineral atmospheres.
- Doué-la-Fontaine town centre: streets and buildings revealing local history.
