Things To Do in Tours
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Tours Attractions
Pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain once stopped here to pay homage at the tomb of St-Martin, the “Apostle of Gaul” and bishop of Tours in the 4th century. One of the most significant conflicts in European history, the 732 Battle of Tours checked the Arab advance into Gaul. In the 15th century, French kings set up shop here and Tours became the capital of France, a position it held for more than 100 years.
Most Loire Valley towns are rather sleepy, but Tours is where the action is, where streets and cafes bustle with a large student population. The heart of town is place Jean-Jaurès. The principal street is rue Nationale, running north to the Loire River. Head west along rue du Commerce and rue du Grand-Marché to Vieux Tours/Vieille Ville (old town). If you turn left on rue du Commerce toward the old town center, you can explore the streets and courtyards for regional specialties, books, toys, and crafts. A hotbed for antiques is east of rue Nationale (toward the cathedral), along rue de la Scellerie. Up rue Nationale toward the river are more shops and upscale boutiques and a small mall with chain stores.
Place Plumereau (often shortened to “place Plume”, it's pictured above), a square of medieval buildings, houses a concentration of restaurants and bars. In the warmer months, the square explodes with tables that fill with people who like to people-watch (and be watched themselves). This is a good place to start if you’re going out in the evening; otherwise, venture to the trendy bars on rue Colbert, which lies in the heart of Tours, midway between the place Plumereau and the cathedral. Allow a morning, afternoon, or evening to see Tours.
Châteaux-Hopping Made Easy
If you aren’t renting a car, several tour companies in Tours arrange full- and half-day visits to nearby castles that leave daily from the tourist office. Acco-Dispo (www.accodispo-tours.com; tel. 06-82-00-64-51) offers good value small group tours visiting two to four châteaux and costing 40€ to 80€ per person. The price usually does not include meals or admission to the châteaux, but participation in the tour qualifies you for reduced group rates. A La Francaise (www.alafrancaise.fr/en/loire-valley; tel. 05-57-30-04-27) has half and full-day minibus and e-bike tours, some of which include food and wine tastings, from 89€ per person.
Keep in mind that less is sometimes more when it comes to castle viewing; after two or three, you may not be able to remember which was which.
- Cathedral
Cathédrale St-Gatien
This cathedral honors a 3rd-century evangelist and has a Flamboyant Gothic facade flanked by towers with bases from the 12th century. The lanterns date from the Renaissance. The choir is from the 13th century, with new additions built in each century through the 16th. Sheltered… - Museum
Musée des Beaux-Arts
For an art fix in Tours, stop by this provincial museum, worth visiting just to see the lovely rooms and gardens of the former Archbishop’s palace, with parts dating to the 12th century. Hanging on the walls are works by Rubens, Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Boucher; the sculpture…
Tours Shopping
In the pedestrian area of rue de Bordeaux, from the magnificent train station to rue Nationale, you'll find dozens of mall-type shops and department stores selling clothes, shoes, jewelry, leather goods, and the like. Up rue Nationale toward the river are more shops and upscale boutiques, and a small mall with chain stores. Rue Nationale continues across the river, but turn left on rue du Commerce toward the old town center. You'll want to explore the streets and courtyards for regional specialties, books, toys, and crafts. A hotbed for antiques is east of rue Nationale (toward the cathedral), along rue de la Scellerie.
Of the more than 30 markets here, the most animated are the gourmet market (Marché Gourmand), the first Friday of each summer month, 4 to 8:30pm, Boulevard Béranger; the antiques market, the first and third Friday of the month in the pedestrian zone on rue de Bordeaux, and on the first Sunday of the month, a larger version of the event on rue de la Scellerie; the flower market, Wednesday and Saturday 8am to 6pm, boulevard Béranger; and the craft market (Marché Artisanal), Saturday 9am to 1pm, place des Halles. Traditional food markets take place Tuesday to Sunday mornings at various locations; ask at the tourist office. The covered market, Les Halles, with a huge selection of fresh local meat, cheese, and produce, is at place Gaston-Paillhou Monday through Saturday 7am to 7pm and Sunday 7am to 1pm.
Tours Nightlife
Long a student town, Tours has a lively young population. Much of the evening action centers around Place Plumereau and rue Colbert. The twenty-something crowd gets early evening drinks at Le Baron, 11 rue des Ofèvres (www.facebook.com/LeBaronDeTours). You can keep the tempo of your night going with some live jazz at the friendly Strapontin Café, 23 rue de Châteauneuf (www.facebook.com/strapontin.cafe; tel. 02-47-47-02-74).
In summer, many locals camp out at La Guinguette, a vast open-air “bar” by the Pont Wilson along the Loire River, much in the spirit of Paris Plages. The daytime activities extend nightly with concerts, dancing, food, drink, and games. It’s open mid-May to mid-September and only cash is accepted.
If you have the urge for more dancing, the hottest place in town is L’Excalibur, 35 rue Briçonnet (www.facebook.com/excalibur.tours; tel. 02-47-64-76-78), with an electro beat and video system. A clientele of all ages, many from the surrounding countryside, heads to Le Pyms, 170 av. de Grammont (www.lepyms.com; tel. 02-47-66-22-22), where there are two spaces, one playing ‘80s nostalgia and the other contemporary electro.
