MUSÉE DES BLINDÉS - SAUMUR FRANCE

Situated in the scenic Loire Valley in central France, Saumur’s Musée des Blindés, houses the French army’s cavalry & armoured warfare collection. The region alone is worth a visit – but it’s at the museum that a special treat awaits.

Housed in several large indoor gallery spaces are over 200 tanks, the vast majority are in running order & are regularly shown off to the public on various days of the year. A merry band of volunteers help the staff to restore & maintain the impressive collection.

Make no mistake, this is one of the very best tank museums in the world & its collection is stunning.

The highlights for us were the German World War Two vehicles that are all displayed in one main room. The King Tiger & Tiger are beautifully restored – the former even runs (occasionally). Added to that are a Luchs, Brumbar, Bergpanther & even various Marder conversions. There are other treats to look at too, like a pristine Sdkfz.251/7 pioneer halftrack.

Being a French museum, there’s the whole gamut of interesting US-supplied vehicles & French machines to feast your eyes on.

The good news is, there are plenty of other vehicles from the museum’s 600-strong stockpile of tanks dotted around the outdoor areas, so model makers especially, can soak up the details. And talking of model makers, there’s a fantastic annual model show that was the excuse for our visit. So check our video, see what you think & take a look at the museum’s Panther tank in action.

With thanks to The Musée Des Blindés - Saumur, France - www.muséedesblindés.fr.