10 reasons to Explore Tours France-Why we Came Back
10 reasons to explore Tours France and discovering all of its delights was something we failed to do on our first visit many years ago. At that point in time, Tours served us as a jumping off point for exploring the châteaux of the Loire Valley.
As I revisited our travel photos during the 2020 pandemic when travel was not possible, I realized there had to be more to Tours than my meager set of images recalled. Exploring Tours became a goal. Now, I want to share 10 reasons to visit Tours France which prompted our return in 2022.
Château de Tours was just around the corner from our hotel
On our first visit to the city, we had been told the Château de Tours was of no consequence, so we skipped visiting it. What a shame – it was definitely our loss.
Historically, it was the place of the marriage of Marie d’Anjou to the future Charles VII (1413) as well as welcoming Jeanne d’Arc when she returned from Orleans. The contemporary and modern art exhibits we found there were fascinating. Plus, the entry fee is less than five euros.
I love photographing stairwells and this one in the chateau did not disappoint.
From the river walk we could see both the Château and Cathédral Saint-Gatien.
The architecture here is one of my 10 reasons to explore Tours
The amazing architecture in Tours quickly made the top on my list as a photographer. In this post I list my favorite places and views we explored. It is not surprising that some of the first photos on my camera are views of the architecture ! Hover the cursor over an image to see the location of my architectural memories.
Cathédral Saint-Gatien is a Must See
Tours has two city centers! The oldest being the area around Cathédral Saint-Gatien. (We’ll come to the second center of “old Tours” later on.) We had two choices as we approached the end of our street, right took us to Saint-Gatien and left to the Château and the river. We started with the Cathédral to escape the rain. (note- I returned later when the sun made an appearance to get this picture.)
Construction on the Cathédral began in 1170 but other churches have existed on this site since Bishop Lidorius began construction of a church in 337. That kind of historical memory always gives me chills. The flying buttresses and spires of the cathédral today are beautiful architectural features. However, it will be the two towers that capture your attention from wherever you are in Tours.
These two towers stand 69 and 70 meters tall, respectively, and their sculptural details are something to marvel at, as is the interior of the church.
Adjacent to Saint-Gatien is Cloître de la Psalette
This was an unexpected discovery we made on our way back to the river from Saint-Gatien. Built during the Renaissance, this cloister is north of the Cathédral. Climbing the spiral staircase we reached the scriptorium, dating from the 1500s. Manuscripts were created and illuminated here.
Take a moment to step onto American soil
We verified the opening hours of the Château and its exhibits, and then walked along the river Loire. This April afternoon was blustery and cold so we walked only partway across the pedestrian bridge Passerelle Saint-Symphorien.
Standing on the passerelle looking toward Cathédrale Saint-Gatien.
We continued on almost to Pont Wilson. Here we found the Monument to Americans from World War I where you can breathe French air while standing on American soil.*
This monument honors the more than 640,000 American soldiers who served the Services of Supply (SOS) of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) which was headquartered in Tours. Details of the monument itself and of the Expeditionary Forces can be found here.
Saint-Julian Church Survived the Bombs of War
The area around the Eglise Saint-Julian on rue Nationale (which meets at Pont Wilson), met with devastation during World War II. Today, modern buildings stand alongside this church whose bell tower dates from the 11th century.
Hôtel Goüin exhibits works of contemporary artists, definitely making it one of 10 reasons to visit Tours
This cultural site, built in the early 1500s and purported to be one of the first works of the Renaissance in the Touraine, belonged to a local family. The interesting (and rotating) exhibits comprise several floors and entry is gratuit(free).
The Basilica of Saint-Martin and its crypt are not to be missed!
We are now in the second heart of “old” Tours. Saint-Martin of Tours was the first saint to be canonized who was not a martyr. He founded the first monastery in France and later became Bishop of Tours. The Basilica became a pilgrimage site as it contained the relics of Saint-Martin.
A statue of Saint-Martin stands atop the dome.
Unfortunately, the Basilica of Saint-Martin was completely destroyed in 1793 during the French Revolution, save for the two towers we see today. The largest of the original towers is Tour Charlemagne.
To prevent the rebuilding of the Basilica on its original site, two city streets were built across the site where once stood the enormous cathedral. Look carefully where you walk as you will see the foundations of the former pillars.
In 1860, excavations discovered fragments of St-Martin’s tomb and the relics. A new Basilica was built to house these. This new Basilica has a domed tower with a statue of Saint-Martin at its top.
In the crypt of we saw Saint-Martin’s tomb. The upper part, in the form of a sarcophagus supported by ten columns covers the stones of the early burial place of Saint-Martin.
The massive columns of Scottish marble seen below support the crypt. And, on the floor in red tile is the boundary of the original basilica.
Do you ever wonder who is qualified to make restorations to French monuments?
A visit to the Musée de Compagnons is definitely in order if you do! The Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France is an organization of craftsmen and artisans that dates from the Middle Ages when the compagnons created the grand cathedrals we enjoy today.
Young people receive training there in traditional arts such as stone carving and iron-work. Part of their training includes internships in various parts of France with master craftsmen.
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- Grand gate composed of 2325 elements of forged iron
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- Cathedral of Milan, wood model created over a period of 8 years
This museum exhibits some of their masterpiece works. Once they graduate, the interns are qualified to do repairs in their area of expertise to historical monuments. It is the artisans who have followed this course of study that are helping rebuild Notre Dame de Paris today. This is possibly one of my all-time favorite museums!
The above images are examples of the masterpiece work, chef-d’oeuvre, that each student submits for evaluation at the end of their studies, much like a university Phd student submits and defends a dissertation.
Parks and Gardens – I can’t choose just one
Jardin de la Préfecture was the first garden we spotted upon arrival at the train station so we returned to explore after depositing our bags at our sweet little Hotel le Colbert. This garden is the perfect peaceful place to wait for your train.
From there we walked to the Jardin des Prébendes, a bit of a walk through a residential neighborhood that well rewarded our efforts. It is a beautiful park/garden, and we really appreciated the gazebo when the rain decided to come down in torrents. Luckily, we had almost finished exploring the garden before the rain became intense.
Moments after the storm in Prébendes Garden
Cold and damp, we opted to not walk the half-hour to the Jardin Botanique (Botanical Garden) having waited out the rain while in Prébendes. That will be something to add to our “to do upon return” list.
Our walk back to the old town center by the Basilica took us down rue Sebastopol where we literally stumbled upon Square Sourdillon. This is a lovely park, tucked away in a neighborhood, includes a small play area for children. The beautiful building that adorns this garden is the Institute de Touraine. For me, this focal point is what made this garden remarkable.
Square Sourdillon
I saved my personal favorite (the best) for last. The Jardin Saint-Pierre Le Puellier is definitely my favorite and it is not your typical garden. It is an archeological pit with first – third century walls and medieval tombs.
The small openings at the right end of the wall above were medieval tombs. This little garden is mere steps away from Place Plumereau and yet it is peaceful and quiet, protected from the noise by the buildings around it.
Les Halles and the Outdoors Markets – bonus reason # 11
Shhhhhh…… don’t tell anyone, but if you’ve been counting there are more than 10 reasons to explore Tours France! I love exploring French markets! Les Halles is a permanent market that you can visit any day of the week. However, the fresh air markets or street markets that steal my heart are only present on designated days. List found here
The Blvd Béranger market was not far from the Hôtel de Ville where we enjoyed this Kürtőskalács hungarian street food . It is a sweet yeast dough wrapped around a cylinder and cooked in a rotissier. Ours was dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Beyond my 10 reasons to explore Tours France are my Favorite Places to Eat
- Craft Brew Pub on Place de la Resistance : we had an apèro dinatoire here. The planche contained with more meat, cheese, tapenades and cornichons than we should have consumed encircling an entire baguette, but we ate it all. The beer selection was great as well!
- Le Be New Crêperie : this little delight came recommended by our tour guide Véro and we loved it. (AND we loved our history filled tour by Véro!)
- La Souris Gourmande: this restaurant was on rue Colbert, not far from our hotel. If you are a fan of all things cheese then I highly recommend this restaurant, followed by a long walk to burn some of the calories. I would return here time and time again.
Map of my 10 reasons to explore Tours France
If you believe we missed some major sites, I can only agree! The rainy weather hampered us and a scant three days was just not enough time to enjoy everything. So, we will just have to return because I definitely want some terrace time (in the sun) on Place Plumereau.
*The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains the park around the fountain The USA purchased the land from France.
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