7 Must do’s in Tours | France

Tours is a city in central France, located on the Loire River and Cher River. Tours is a perfect base for discovering the impressive castles in the Loire Valley.

1) Rue Colbert & Place Plumereau

Go to Rue Colbert and Place Plumereau to enjoy picturesque wooden houses, terraces, shops, and restaurants.

2) Mairie & Gare de Tours

The architecture of these buildings is the same as the one who created the Gare d’Orsay in Paris (currently Musée d’Orsay), namely Victor Laloux. The buildings are full of symbolism, for example, the statues at the top of the town hall represent the values that Tours stand for. The statues of women that you see on the facade of the Gare are allegories of destinations that you can reach from Tours: Limoges, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Nantes.

3) Saint-Gatien Cathedral 

One of the main attractions of Tours is the Saint-Gatien Cathedral. This impressive church dominates the center and is built in a Gothic style. 

4) Saint Julien

The abbey church of Saint Julien is also very beautiful and you can gain insight into what a historic monastery looked like.

5) Food markets in Tours

The covered market hall Les Halles is a good starting point. In addition, there are many morning markets in the streets of the historic center. You can expect market stalls with beautiful cuts of meat, foie gras, herbs, and of course French cheeses. 

6) Light spectacle

During summer there is a light show every night available!

7) Guinguette in Tours-sur-Loire

Summer guinguettes or summer bars are notorious in Tours. Enjoy the music, drinks, and food along the banks of the Loire. The guinguette at the foot of the Wilson bridge is the main guinguette of the city.

7) Loire valley

The city is located in the middle of the Loire Valley, so it’s the perfect place to start discovering all the beautiful castles left and right. 

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