The village of Candes-Saint-Martin
At the confluence of the River Loire and the Vienne, Candes-Saint-Martin belongs to the small circle of the “most beautiful villages in France“. Candes has also been voted the “French people’s favourite village”. It can boast an exceptional architectural heritage highlighted by its slate roofs and white tuffeau stone walls.
A former river port
From the right bank of the River Vienne, you can enjoy the view over the village of Candes-Saint-Martin with its quays dating from the old river port. Its specific position at the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne fostered the village’s development. It became an important port for inland water shipping in the 18th and 19th centuries.
At this period, the Loire bargemen sailed through Candes on their river boats loaded with wines, dried pears or tuffeau stone. The boats sailed along the river for months at a time and as far away as the big ports of Nantes and Saint-Nazaire.
Today, the port of Candes is still a favourite spot for boarding Loire boats, such as the Amarante or the Belle Adèle, and admiring the landscape. On the two traditional vessels visitors can sail along the river on a cabined boat and savour the Loire landscapes from Candes-Saint-Martin to Montsoreau.
The old village
Candes-Saint-Martin stands on the hillside. It has a history rich in heritage. The houses made of tuffeau stone around the fortified church extend along Rue du Bac, Ruelle des Mariniers and Rue des Pêcheurs.
Saint-Martin Collegiate Church
Saint Martin’s Church was built in the late 12th century. It features a fortress-like portal with two crenellated towers on either side. Inside the church, a narrow passage leads from the transept to Saint Martin’s chapel. This is where Martin, the bishop of Tours, died in November 387, as attested by a flagstone on the ground. The lateral stained-glass window shows how the people of Touraine carried away Saint Martin’s body.
The legend of St Martin
When the body of the future saint was carried off to the town of Tours in the night of 11 November 387, a miracle occurred. As the cortege passed, all the bushes along the way suddenly bloomed, although it was mid-autumn. This is what is called St Martin’s summer.
The village on the hillside
From the church, walk up Rue Saint-Maurice to the upper part of the village. Visitors climb quickly from an altitude of 30 metres to 100 metres, going past the most iconic sites in Candes: Ruelle Tire-Jarret, the old castle, the new castle, the Saint-Michel windmill, the Fontevraud forest…
The castles of the archbishops of Tours
On the way up, you will see the old castle dating from the 15th century, the first summer residence of the archbishops of Tours, and the Hôtel de la Prévôté, a medieval law court. A little further on, the new castle was the archbishops’ second summer residence from the 17th century.
A wonderful view over the rivers
From the heights of the village, there is a magnificent panorama over the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne. The orientation table at the Candes watchtower takes in all the landscape from Touraine to Anjou. This bucolic spot is an ideal place for a picnic before heading to the neighbouring village of Montsoreau, which is also listed as one of the “most beautiful villages in France”.
