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About the city
The French city of Tours is the prefecture of the Indre-et-Loire department, located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orleans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the famous Battle of Tours in 732.
City areas
There are several parks located within the city. Tours is located between two rivers, the Loire to the north and the Cher to the south. The buildings of Tours are white with blue slate roofs. This style is common in the north of France, as most buildings in the south of France have terracotta roofs.
Attractions
Tours has been a popular city throughout the history of France and as such it does not lack attractions, especially historical ones. The main things to see in Tours are the beautiful Gothic cathedral of Saint Gatien, where the remains of St. Martin are buried, and the Fine Arts Museum, which houses a large collection of classical works of art.
Transportation
The easily reachable city of Tours is a popular place for a long vacation as well as a short city break. Tours is just an hour away from Paris by TGV, which makes the city a wonderful base of exploration. You can also get to the city by plane or car.
Events
Tours is a pretty busy city events wise. Every year the locals bright up the town with festivities like National Qigong Day, the city’s own Tours Fair, the art festival known as the Fresh Food Aisle and of course the cinematic festival of sensual desire.
Restaurants & Nightlife
Tours is a fine city for dining out, especially at night. Though not as romantic as Paris, the city has its charms, as well as its own specialties when it comes to gourmet dishes. Known as the gastronomical village, Tours will certainly not disappoint when it comes to food.
History & Civilisation
In Gallic times the city was important as a crossing point of the Loire. Becoming part of the Roman Empire, during the 1st century, the city was named "Caesarodunum" (hill of Cesar). The name evolved in 4th century when the original Gallic name, Turones, became first Civitas Turonorum then Tours.
Saint Gatien Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Gatien is a Gothic style Roman Catholic cathedral, one of the most beautiful Gothic pieces of architecture in France. It was dedicated to Saint Gatien, its canonized first bishop. The construction started in 1170 in order to replace the remains of the earlier planed cathedral that was burnt out in 1166, during the quarrel between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England.