Troglodyte sites and houses Journey to the heart of stone

Walking along the roads of Touraine, open your eyes wide: you should spot caves and troglodytic houses carved out of the stone on the hillside. Does this appeal to your curiosity? Bed and breakfast, tours, cellars, restaurants… Here are some good addresses in troglo!

Troglodyte caves for well-aged wines

In addition to the pleasure of tasting excellent wines, the Touraine region is also home to large cellars carved out of tufa stone. Listen to the winemaker explain the importance of these underground spaces for preserving the wines: the temperature and humidity levels vary very little. And what a pleasure it is to enjoy a bit of coolness in the summer! Visit the wine houses in Amboise, Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvray. Special mention should be made of the troglodyte route through the Grandes Caves Saint Roch, which was once an extraction quarry used to build the châteaux and houses of the surrounding area, a silkworm breeding cave and a mushroom farm, before becoming the site of today’s winegrowing activity.

Cellars and wineries

Troglodyte mignon

This species of passerine owes its name to its taste for slightly dark places, like troglodyte spaces.

Troglodyte cellars

Troglodyte heritage to visit

In Azay-le-Rideau, discover the Goupillières troglodytic valley. Far from castle life, learn about the peasant world of centuries gone by, in dwellings dug into the stone. An unusual, bucolic and friendly visit. Six kilometres further on, continue with the village of Villaines-les-Rochers. Wicker-growing has developed here above all thanks to the favourable soil, but also to the troglodyte houses that allow it to be preserved before use. Other highlights include the Chapelle Sainte Radegonde, and the basement of the musée Rabelais, a former quarry… gargantuan!

Fancy a bike ride? Departing from Le Parc de Fierbois campsite, the “les troglos de Courtineau” cycle loop passes through a setting of numerous troglodyte houses, as well as a chapel carved into the rock: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. On foot, explore the Interpretation Trail of the Coteaux Troglodyte Valley. A less strenuous option, get a massage in the troglodyte space of the SPA Zen Garden du Château de Candes. Or choose a troglodyte restaurant!

Underground tour

Near the gardens of Château de Villandry, the Savonnières petrifying caves are also well worth a visit!

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Not to be missed

Staying in a troglodyte house

It’s fashionable to sleep in a cave! 😉 In fact, a number of people in the Loire Valley live in cave dwellings themselves, taking advantage of the special features of this type of habitat, starting with its coolness in the hottest part of the summer. Share their happiness by living this unusual experience yourself, in bed and breakfast or self-catering accommodation. Hotels are not to be outdone, with Troglododo in Azay-le-Rideau, the Hautes Roches in Rochecorbon (France’s first luxury troglodyte hotel) or the troglo suite at XII de Luynes. Choose your little corner of paradise, for one or more nights!

Les Greniers de César

Undergoing transformation (due to open in 2027), the hôtel le Relais d’Amboise conceals a major surprise: the greniers de César, extraordinary galleries that were used as silos to collect wheat levied as tithes, before the Revolution.