Meung-sur-Loire
Welcome to Meung-sur-Loire The Loire-side town of Meung-sur-Loire benefits from a privileged geographic position: to the north lies the agricultural region of Beauce and to the south starts the remarkable Sologne forest.
Its historic centre is curled around the Collegiate Church, the Château, a medieval door referred to as “Porte d’Amont” and the Place Martroi, livened up every Sunday by a colourful market. In Gallo-Roman times, the town was called Magdunum, a term meaning “fortified market” through a the presence of a fortress.
Its inhabitants are called “Magdunois” and “Magdunoises”.
Interesting features of the town
Historic heritage
THE MEDIEVAL TOWN
La cité médiévale offre son charme et sa poésie. Flânez dans ses vieilles rues charmantes aux maisons de pierres ou à pans de bois et laissez-vous bercer par le doux bruit des Mauves, ces petites rivières qui traversent la ville. Elle conserve de nombreux monuments anciens classés.
- The Saint-Liphard Collegiate church
The collegiate houses the relics of Saint-Liphard, a cousin of Clovis, who had come to live as a hermit in Meung-sur-Loire in the 6th century. Its architecture mixes both the Romanesque style with its famous 11th century porch tower and the Gothic style with the height of the nave and the development of circular transepts, a unique feature in the Loire valley.
- The Porte d’Amont
Built in the 13th century, it was the main door to the city when the latter was still surrounded by ramparts.
- The mills
Meung-sur-Loire is a unique site in France with its 37 water mills still visible for a basin extending over 8.40 kilometres.
THE CHÂTEAU DE MEUNG-SUR-LOIRE
The Château de Meung-sur-Loire is one of the largest and most ancient châteaux of the Loiret department and was once the prestigious residence of the Bishops of Orléans until the French Revolution.
LA MONNAYE CULTURAL CENTRE
The Cultural Centre of Meung-sur-Loire is named “La Monnaye” as a tribute to the function performed on this spot by the “Maison de la Monnaie” (money house) in the 17th century, where a copper coin, “Liards”, were minted. It is made up of three permanent exhibition spaces.
Natural site
THE JARDINS
Two public gardens with the “Jardins Remarquables” label (remarkable gardens) are present in Meung-sur-Loire: the Jardins de Roquelin and the Jardin Arboretum d’Ilex. A third garden has recently opened its doors: the Parc de la Folie Hubert, a superb three-century park of 2 hectares. These green havens will offer you a true bucolic break and will not fail to surprise you!
THE MAUVES
These man-made streams extend over 42 km and cross through Meung-sur-Loire to drain into the Loire river, in Baule.
THE DEPARTMENTAL NATURAL PARK DES COURTILS ET DES MAUVES
This park takes its name from the old gardens where vegetables used to be cultivated (“Courtils”) and the small rivers (“Les Mauves”) criss-crossed by many walkways. The northern part of the park is characterised by a wetland, comprising a willow and poplar forest. To the south, the Mauves converge into a single arm. There is also a reed bed, forming a good shelter and nesting place for the local fauna.
The prairies are home to meliferous flora. Grazing sheep keep the grass coverage low and ensure a large diversity of insects.
