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The "falun" or soft shellstone found in the Loire valley lends itself to troglodyte dwellings - homes carved out of rocky outcrops, of which there are more in this area (between Saumur and Angers) than anywhere else in France. It's reckoned that in the twelfth century half the local population lived in homes carved out of the rock. Today, some of the rock dwellings have surprising uses, along with the more predictable "Troglo" bars and restaurants. Away from the Loire cliffs on the plains to the south, troglodyte villages were built by digging holes like large craters and then carving out the walls. The best example is at ROCHEMENIER , north of Doue-la-Fontaine, about 20km southwest of Saumur, where an underground village housed a small farming community with its own underground chapel (daily: April-Nov 9.30am-7pm; rest of the year 2-6pm; closed Dec & Jan; 25F/?3.81), and was only abandoned in the 1930s. The visit includes a typical troglodyte dwelling, along with a museum of domestic items, including wine and oil presses. Just 3km north, at DENEZE-SOUS-DOUE , there are underground carvings thought to have been sculpted by a secret sixteenth-century sect of libertarians. The cartoon-style figures mock religion, morality, the state and the ruling class, with scenes of sex, strange deformities and perverted Christian imagery (Tues-Sun: April & May 2-6.30pm; June & Sept 10am-7pm; July & Aug 9am-7pm; 20F/?3.05). There are also concerts in the cave on Wednesday evenings (April-Oct). Equally bizarre is the Zoo de Doue on the D960 to Cholet, 2km southwest of Doue-la-Fontaine (daily: April-Sept 9am-7pm; Oct-March 10am-noon & 2-6pm; 60F/?9.15), established in one of the region's complexes of quarried falun caverns. The natural setting has been used to full advantage for a cave of fruit bats, a vivarium (formerly a cave dwelling but now home to pythons, anacondas and the like) and a lynx enclosure so spacious and overgrown it's hard to spot a cat. At PARNAY , about 7km upstream from Saumur on the south bank of the Loire, you can taste and buy wines from a troglodyte mansion, the Chateau du Marconnay , 75 rte de Saumur (April-Sept Tues-Sun 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm; 16F/?2.44). Further on, just before Turquant, in LE VAL-HULIN , are the last producers of the once common Saumurois dried whole apples, known as pommes tapees - each apple, after drying, is given a little expert tap to make it a more amenable shape for bottle storage. You can tour one of the workshops at Le Troglo des Pommes Tapees (Easter-May & Nov 1-11 Sat, Sun & hols 10am-noon & 2.30-6.30pm; June & Sept Tues-Fri 2.30-6.30pm; July & Aug Tues-Sun 10am-noon & 2.30-6.30pm), where you are taken through the apple drying and tapping process and then top off the visit with a tasting. About 10km south from Saumur towards Montreuil-Bellay is La Magnanerie du Coudray in LE COUDRAY-MACOUARD (daily except Sat: April-June, Sept & Oct 2-7pm; July & Aug 10am-7pm; tel 02.41.67.91.24; 25F/3.81), a silkworm farm with a small museum explaining the history of silk in the region and the various silk-reeling methods.
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