Tourist information on Tours, France

Hemmed in between the rivers Loire and Cher in north-central France is the attractive university city of Tours. Situated 200 km southwest of Paris, it is the capital of the department Indre-et-Loire and the largest town in the Centre region. Although a thriving modern city, its economy boosted by high-tech industries, Tours retains its historic centre and has much to offer the culturally minded tourist with its monuments, museums and theatres. It is also a great place to shop and has a lively night life, as well as an impressive array of bars, cafés and restaurants.

Tours originated as the densely populated Gallic settlement Turones, an important crossing point on the River Loire. In the 1st century AD, the Romans built their city Caesarodunum here, and this became one of the hubs of the Lugdunum province by the 4th century AD, when it developed into a great centre of Christianity under its bishop, Saint Martin. A stopping point on the pilgrimage route to Santiago-de-Compostela, it retained its importance throughout the Middle Ages. The most famous event in the town's history took place in 732 - the Battle of Tours. It was here that Charles Martel defeated an invasion by Muslim horsemen, thwarting an Islamic conquest of France. In the 9th century, Tours played a part in the revival of the Carolingian empire. In the Middle Ages, Tours was a city divided - in the east was the old city, comprising the Cathedral and Castle of Tours, and in the west was the new city, centred on the Abbey of Saint Martin. The two halves of the city were finally united in the 14th century. Tours was the capital of the Duchy of Touraine and became the capital of France from 1450 to 1550 after King Louis XI had taken up residence at the nearby Château des Montils. When the monarchy moved their court to Paris, Tours began its slow period of decline, which continued until the 19th century, when its strategic position on the French rail network established it as an important nexus of communications and commerce. Widespread damage was inflicted on the city in 1940 at the beginning of the Second World War, resulting in the loss of many historic monuments. The city was rebuilt after the war with a grid-like street plan that accentuated its formal 18th century architecture.

The historic heart of Tours is its medieval old town, Vieux Tours, which is replete with handsome half-timbered buildings and grand Renaissance mansions. Here you will find the blacksmith's shop where Joan of Arc had her armour made before she went into battle against the English, and also the Place Plumereau, an attractive square surrounded by buzzing terrace cafés and restaurants. Nearby is the 18th century bridge, the Pont Wilson, perfectly restored after it collapsed in the 1970s. To the east lies the city's most imposing landmark, the Cathédrale St-Gatien. This dates back to the 12th century, although the striking Gothic ornamentation and Renaissance towers were added in the 15th and 16th centuries respectively. Situated to the right of the old city is Tours's other great ecclesiastical monument, the Basilique Saint-Martin, a 19th century Romano-Byzantine reconstruction of an earlier church which was an important stage on the Santiago-de-Compostela pilgrimage. In the crypt of this remarkable edifice is the tomb of Martin de Tours. Numerous other churches are dotted about the city and many, notably l'Église Saint-Julien, l'Église Notre-Dame la Riche and l'Église Saint-Grégoire des Minimes, are well worth visiting.

Another of the city's great historical monuments is the Château de Tours, the former residence of the Counts of Anjou which dates back to the 11th century. It was here that Marie d'Anjou married the future King Charles VII and Joan of Arc's triumph at nearby Orléans was celebrated in style. Currently, it houses an exhibition of contemporary art and an educational centre that traces the history of Tours. Dominating the Tours skyline are the Tour Charlemagne and Tour de l'Horloge, all that remains of the 13th century medieval college of Saint-Martin. South of the old city, Tours has a distinctly Parisian feel to it with its wide boulevards and geometrically arranged streets, and is often referred to as le Petit Paris. This is where the best shops are to be found, and also the Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé, a large park with a pleasing assortment of trees, flowerbeds and sculptures.

Tours offers a wide range of interesting museums. The most impressive of these is the city's Musée des Beaux-Arts, a Fine Arts Museum housed in the Archbishop's Palace, near to the cathedral. This offers a rich and diverse collection of paintings, sculptures and objets d'art. The paintings include work by the Italian Primitives Antonio Vivarini and Lorenzo Veneziano, numerous examples of French art from artists ranging from Jacques Blanchard and Eustache Le Sueur to Ingrès, Degas and Monet. The sculptures represent work by Jean-Antoine Houdon, Auguste Rodin and Antoine Bourdelle. Other museums of interest are: Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, a substantial natural history museum; Musée du Compagnonnage (housed in the Abbaye St-Julien); Musée du Train et des Équipages militaries (an exhibition of military paraphernalia in the Pavillon de Condé); and Musée Saint-Martin, which displays (in the Chapelle Saint-Jean) the remnants of the previous churches on the site presently occupied by the Basilique Saint-Martin.

Tours lives up to its nickname Le Jardin de la France with its abundance of parks and gardens. These include the Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé in the city centre and the Jardin botanique, an ample botanical garden and arboretum with a surprisingly diverse collection of plants, situated to the west of the city centre. Riverside walks along the banks of the Loire are another attractive feature of Tours.

The nearest airport to Tours is Aeroport Tours Val de Loire, which offers flights to a limited number of European destinations, including London, Marseille and Dublin. There are high speed (TGV) rail connections from the TGV station (Gare Tours-Saint-Pierre-des-Corps) to Paris (journey time: just over an hour) and Bordeaux. There is also a regular rail service (from Gare Tours-Centre) to several destinations, including Paris and Orléans. A substantial bus network operates within the city centre.