>City tours


City of Art and History, ancient Gallo-Roman city, then capital of the Kingdom of France, Tours enjoy, an exceptional place at the centre of the famous Loire valley chateaux, in the heart of the garden of France.

Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the perfection of its local spoken French.

One of the outstanding figures of the history of the city was Saint Martin, second bishop who divided his coat with a naked beggar in Amiens.

This incident and the importance of Martin in the medieval Christian Occident made Tours, and in particular Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, a major centre of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages.

There's a beautiful basilica dedicated to Saint Martin in the city.

The cathedral of Tours, dedicated to Saint Gatien, its canonized first bishop, was begun about 1170 to replace the just-started cathedral that was burnt out in 1166, during the quarrel between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England.

Tours is famous for the old part of the city, called "Le Vieux Tours", with medieval half-timbered houses, and "Place Plumereau", a square with busy pubs and restaurants, whose open-air tables fill the center of the square.

Boulevard Beranger crosses Rue Nationale at Place Jean-Jaures, and is the location of weekly markets and fairs.