Why Visit The City Of Tours in France?

Tours in France is described by the Lonely Planet as ‘a smart, solidly bourgeois kind of place’. I wasn’t entirely sure what the guide book meant but upon our arrival, it became clear. Around 200km east of Nantes, the city of Tours is filled with wide boulevards, picturesque piazzas and up-market shops. As soon as we saw the grand Hotel de Ville, we knew Tours was indeed a bourgeois kind of place.

Hotel de Ville, Tours France

For a city I’d never heard of previously, Tours provided a very pleasant stop-off on our travels from London to the Dordogne in southern France at the end of July. With the likes of Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Biarritz within reach, it’s a practical place to stay halfway down France for those travelling south. So, is Tours worth visiting? Find out what there is to do in Tours and how we spent our day in the city with two young children.

Click here to read about our France road trip itinerary to Provence

Where is Tours located?

Tours in France sits between the Loire and Cher rivers, in the province of Touraine. Known for its good food and purely spoken French language there’s good reason to linger in the area.

We travelled there in one day from west London. Getting the Eurotunnel from Folkestone at around 10am, we arrived in Tours for 5pm. That left us around 250 miles to cover the next day to reach our destination near Bergerac in southern France.

Wide shopping street in Tours city in France

Tours’ place in history

Originally a Gallic settlement, the Romans took over in the 1st century AD. An important figure in the city’s history was Saint Martin who was its bishop during the 4th century. Once a Roman solider, he chose to follow his religious path after seeing a vision of Christ. It followed an incident where he cut his cloak in half to share with a naked beggar. As a Roman soldier he would not have been encouraged to mingle with the locals. This act of Christian compassion has made him a popular figure.

His shrine put Tours on the route of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It became a thriving centre during the Middle Ages. The battle of Tours – which took place just outside the city in 732 – is cited as a turning point in the Christian fight against the Moors. The French, under Charles Martel, were victorious and helped to preserve Christianity in Western Europe.

Things to do in Tours, France

We arrived in the city of Tours late afternoon and after dumping our bags at our Mecure hotel room, we, headed straight out. The magnificent Hôtel de Ville was one of the first sights which caught our eye. It stands opposite the (just as impressive) Palais de Justice. The fountains outside each of the buildings gave them an extra grandiose flair.

Palais de Justice, Tours France: Why visit Tours?

Of course there was a carousel – a pink one at that. My daughter was delighted.

Pink carousel, Tours, France: What to see in Tours

There was also a big wheel there when we visited in July.

Big wheel, Tours France

We fuelled up at a nearby brassiere and enjoyed the late evening sun.

Cheeky and Wander dad

The next morning we spent a couple of hours looking around Tours before embarking on the rest of our journey to southern France. Tours’ medieval centre and its half-timbered housing was the first area in our sights.

Half-timbered housing in Tours, France: Is Tours worth visiting?

It was there we came across two contrasting sights. We encountered a ‘hole-in-the-wall pizza place (although resisted trying it out) alongside the ancient housing.

Hole in the wall pizza, Tours, France

A few streets away is the Basilica of St Martin. It houses the relics of the famous Tours resident. Built in 1862, it replaced the original building which suffered heavy damage during the Wars of Revolution and French Revolution. Inside, there’s a small museum with artefacts from the original church

Basilica of Saint Martin, things to do in Tours, France

The only remaining building from the original St Martin church is the north tower, the Tour Charlemagne. It stands across the road from the new basilica and gives some idea of how big the original building would have been. Consecrated in 818, my daughter’s eyes opened wide when I explained that some of the building was over one thousand years old.

Charlemagne tower, things to do in Tours, France
Tour Charlemagne, Tours

Tours Cathedral

Tours’ centre piece is its cathedral. I could have stared at its show-stopping Gothic facade for a long time. Dedicated to Saint Gatian, the first bishop of Tours, it is a mishmash of styles. The lower sections of the towers are from the 12th century (so are Romanesque) the tops are Renaissance while the rest is from the 15th century (Gothic).

Tours Cathedral exteriorThe cathedral is no less spectacular inside, giving the ‘wow’ factor as I walked in. Adding to the ambience were two female singers practising a sweet duet which resonated around the religious building. The 13th century stained glass windows glistened and we marvelled at the towering ceiling.

Tours Cathedral interior

It is no wonder a number of French monarchs are entombed within the cathedral. A fitting, regal resting place. We were very glad we made the time to visit.

Tours Cathedral, Tours city, France

With that, our short trip to Tours was over and we returned to our car and continued our journey to the Dordogne. A great stopover en route to southern France or northern Spain. Certainly, Tours in France is worth visiting.

Other sights to see in Tours

Tours is known as the ‘Garden of France’ due to its numerous open spaces. Its 19th century botanical garden has tropical greenhouses and a petting zoo. The Musee des Beaux-Arts has a number of high profile artist’s works such as Monet, Rubens and Rembrandt. Of course Tours is surrounded by vineyards. Take a wine tour out of Tours and taste what the Loire valley has to offer. If you want some more history (or a more family-friendly activity), the area is dotted with magnificent castles to explore.

Where to stay in Tours?

We stayed at the Mercury hotel close to the railway station which had an underground car park. Perfect for a road trip stop-off. It was well located close to shop and around a 10 minute walk to the main sights. It had a large room and it served us very well for our one night stay in Tours.

Click here to book your stay at the Mercury Hotel or look at other accommodation options in Tours.

Those are some of the things to do when visiting Tours. We visited as part of an epic three week road trip around Provence.

You may also enjoy reading:

7 Reasons to visit Provence
Road trip itinerary: 11 days in France and Italy
One day in Troyes, France

Why visit the city of Tours in France? Things to do in Tours, France

Lou Messugo
Wander Mum


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Wander Mum

I've always loved to travel so when my two daughters came along, I didn't stop. Travelling as a family can have its ups and downs but I love showing my children the world and helping others navigate travelling with children in tow.

56 Comments
  1. We are hoping to go on a road trip around France next spring and those medieval houses really caught my attention! I’ll study a good itinerary to try include Tours, provisional plan already includes this area but no specific stops are decided yet! #citytripping

  2. That cathedral looks incredible! I think I might have visited Tours during my own childhood trip to the Dordogne but my memory is a little hazy so I’ll have to pay it another visit! #citytripping

  3. Thanks for sharing your visit to Tours. The cathedral looks like it was worth the trip all by itself. I also thought that the Medieval timber townhouses were really interesting.

  4. Wow, the cathedral looks massive, quite impressive! And speaking of impressive, I can’t believe that your youngest is growing up fast! Wasn’t it just recently that you brought her to HK as a baby? Time flies really quickly 🙂 #Citytripping

  5. We love Tours too! Always feels like a good halfway point on our annual drive South. The kids absolutely love Lulu Parc, just across the river. And the attached restaurant, La Guinguette I think it’s called, is super family friendly.

  6. I went to this area years ago with my parents and remember loving the feel of it then – the buildings, the history and the food! It doesn’t seem to have changed that much, and that can only be a good thing.
    #citytripping

  7. We have a couple of friends in Paris who are from Tours and hear about it form them but I’ve never actually been there. Looks like an ideal stopover place. I’m amazed by that pizza vending machine. I know about bread and oyster vending machines in France but that’s a first for pizza! Thanks for sharing with #AllaboutFrance Elizabeth. I’m glad you went to France this summer as I’m sure you’ll have plenty of posts to link up in the coming months! Ha ha! (And I’m sure you had a great time too!!!)
    Phoebe | Lou Messugo recently posted…All About France #31My Profile

    1. Hehe – #allaboutfrance was why we went! Plenty more mosts to come Phoebe! I’ve not seen an oyster vending machine. I can vouch for how good the pizzas were but it’s an interesting concept!

  8. I was lucky enough to spend an academic year, as a student, in Tours; such happy memories! When we drive down to our home, in Castelnaudary, from Dieppe. We always have an overnight stop in Tours. I still love the city!

  9. It’s many years since I visited Tours, but I can remember happy days spent looking at the Loire châteaux. We are very fond of Sancerre (both the place and the wine!) in the eastern part of the Loire. Your post has given me the appetite to go back. #AllAboutFrance

  10. Thats a great trip you had in Tours. We also fell in love with this lovely city when we visited it last summer. You have provided a very good insight on Tours.

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