Tours Old Town
Vieux Tours
The transport hub and university town of the Loire Valley, where the half-timbered houses around Place Plumereau and the Gothic Saint-Gatien Cathedral are worth a stroll.
Tours is the largest city in the Loire Valley and the most convenient base for accommodation and transport when visiting the châteaux. The old town (Vieux Tours) centres on Place Plumereau, surrounded by 15th-century half-timbered and stone houses, where pavement bars fill with students and visitors at night. Nearby lanes such as Rue Briçonnet preserve medieval houses. To the east, Saint-Gatien Cathedral blends Gothic and Renaissance styles and has exquisite stained glass. Beside it, the museum is housed in the former bishop's palace, and its courtyard holds a huge Lebanon cedar planted in the 18th century and a stuffed elephant named Fanny. The Basilica of Saint Martin honours Saint Martin of Tours, one of France's patron saints. Tours is known as the home of the standard French accent and is the birthplace of the novelist Balzac. The Loire à Vélo cycle route passes through the city centre, and you can rent a bike to ride along the river. A walk through the old town takes about 2 hours. For food, try rillettes de Tours and Vouvray sparkling wine. Getting there: from Paris Montparnasse, a TGV takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, then a 5-minute regional train to Tours station. Tram Line A runs through the city.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Tours Cathedral
- Vouvray
- Château de Villandry
- Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
- Château de Langeais
- Pagode de Chanteloup
- Château d'Amboise
- Château du Clos Lucé