Panorama de la Croix de Mission, Bagneux
Cross the Loire to the suburb of Bagneux and follow the road up past the troglodyte caves to the Croix de Mission — a modest stone cross on a chalk escarpment that delivers one of the most complete panoramas of Saumur you will find anywhere, completely free of the tourist crowds gathered on the château terrace. The view sweeps across the confluence of the Loire and Thouet, the château, the bridges
The Walk Up
The ascent from the Bagneux roundabout takes about 20 minutes on foot along a signed path through scrubby garrigue and past cave-house entrances still used as wine cellars. The path is easy but uneven in places — wear trainers rather than sandals. Cyclists can reach it via the Loire à Vélo route that crosses the Pont Cessart.
On the way up, stop at the Dolmen de Bagneux on rue du Dolmen — one of the largest Neolithic passage graves in France, sitting incongruously behind a café, free to visit and almost always empty of visitors.
When to Go
Sunset is the obvious answer: the château catches the western light and the Loire turns copper. But the view at dawn, with morning mist lying in the river valley below and the first TGV crossing the viaduct, is something you will not forget quickly.
Pack a picnic from the Saturday market and settle on the grass; there are no facilities at the top, which is precisely why it stays quiet.
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