Tours Sights and Landmarks Guide, France

One hour away from Paris, taking the T.G.V., Tours and his 140,000 inhabitants welcomes you with a lot of interesting sights to see. One is right in front of you after you get off the train: The Da Vinci International Congress Center. 

If you are a bargainer and enjoy the fussy atmosphere of markets you are in the right spot as Tours is also called the city of 30 markets. There are every second week a morning market for each day, and also markets with a theme for the entire day, such as the Flower Market on Bv. Beranger on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Secondhand Market on Place de la Victoire on Wednesdays and Saturdays or a Gourmand Market on Place de la Resistance on each first Friday of the month. Let’s not forget about garlic and Basil Trade Show on the 26th of July or the Christmas Market on the last weeks of December. 

If you just feel like strolling and enjoy the beauty of nature go to one of the many parks, gardens and botanical gardens - Tours is called “The Garden of France”: Jardin du Musée des Beaux-Arts, Jardin des Prébendes d’Oé, Park Mirabeau, Jardin de Tours Sainte Radegonde, l’île Simon Park, Honoré de Balzac Park. 

If you are more of an inside-goer visit the museums of Tours: The Archeological Museum, the Wine Museum, the Beaux Arts Museum, Royal Castle of Tours, The Natural History Museum. The most important one is of course the Beaux Art Museum where you will be able to feast your eyes on painters as: Mantegna, Rubens, Rembrandt, Delacroix or Degas.

Before entering a bar and have some fun, take a stroll in the city as you will be thrilled by the lights that magnify and harmonise the city monuments: The Cathedrale, Tour Charlemagne, Saint-Martin Basilique, the Tour de l’Horloge, as well as Pont Wilson and Pont de Fil. Once you have finished the Light Tour go to „La Place Plumereau”, a square with busy pubs and restaurants, and find a place on one of the many terraces that are in the center of the square, try a beer or better a glass of Vouvray.