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Tours
Also known as Tours, Centre, Tours, France, Tours, Indre-et-Loire
Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 138,668 inhabitants as of 2022 while the population of the whole metropolitan area was 526,370.
AI overview
Tours is the largest city in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France and serves as the administrative center of the Indre-et-Loire department. With a city population of about 138,000 people and a metropolitan area of over 526,000, it is a significant population center in central France.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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Place details
- Locality
- Tours
- Region
- Centre-Val de Loire
- Country
- France
- Population
- 141,621
- Timezone
Travel guide
Understand
With a city population of 137,000, and 360,000 in the agglomeration (2020), Tours is the largest city in Centre-Val de Loire, though the status of regional capital is held by Orléans. Tours sits on both the river Loire and on its large tributary the Cher, with the city centre located between the two. The city has a number of attractions, including two cathedrals, a number of interesting museums and great local cuisine. Furthermore, Tours is excellently placed to serve as a base from which to explore the countless châteaux of the Loire Valley. The administrative department of Indre-et-Loire, of which Tours is the prefecture, is known almost exclusively to residents by its much older name of the Touraine, and is renowned for its wines and for the supposed perfection of its local spoken French.
Do
Cycle, walk or jog along the Loire: Starting at Pont Wilson, on either bank of the river, you can walk or cycle for many miles up- or down-stream. Visit La Gloriette , a public park south-west of the centre with an experimental vegetable garden and an adventure park, high in the trees. For Free!
Eat
Place Plumereau and Rue Colbert are arguably the best two places to eat in Tours. Rue Colbert has cuisines from all over the world including Iranian, Turkish, Arab, Japanese, previous French colonies and Italian.
Drink
L'Academie de la Biere Bar at the end of Rue Colbert with about 200 types of beer, along with a tiny dance area. Place Plumereau There are lots of places to drink in the old town around Place Plumereau. Many people go to the square at night and people just sit on chairs placed there belonging to restaurants surrounding the square, sometimes maybe not even knowing whose chairs they are. ZooStation - huge out of town club on the north end of Tours, free parking with a car, however to avoid getting lost on the way it is advisable to jump into a taxi and say "Zoostation s'il vous plait", the driver will know where you mean and will cost about €10 each way. Drinks are pricy but the entrance fee is low, the music is mostly American and French R&B. Best enjoyed if there is a group of you as Saturday nights are busy and, like any large club, there may be some people who are out to pick a fight.
Sleep
AJ du Vieux Tours 5, Rue Bretonneau, is a cheap, safe and clean hostel with no curfew. Individual, long-stay rooms are ideal for international students in Tours as the staff speak English and is a great way to make friends quickly. Has communal bathroom facilities and meals are available to buy in the cafeteria area. Also has cooking facilities for making your own meals. Great location next to a couple of internet cafés and all the bars and pubs of Place Plumereau, and just across the road from the main campus of the Université Francois-Rabelais.
~28 min read
Article
30 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Middle Ages
- 16th–18th centuries
- 19th to 20th centuries
- First World War
- Inter-war years
- Second World War
- Post-war developments
- Climate
- Sights
- Cathedral
- Other points of interest
- Language
- City
- Population
- Transportation
- Sport
- Catholics from Tours
- Notable people
- Public service
- Arts
- Science and business
- Sport
- Twin towns — sister cities
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 138,668 inhabitants as of 2022 while the population of the whole metropolitan area was 526,370.
Tours sits on the lower reaches of the Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Formerly named Caesarodunum by its founder, Roman Emperor Augustus, it possesses one of the largest amphitheaters of the Roman Empire, the Tours Amphitheatre. Known for the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, it is a National Sanctuary with connections to the Merovingians and the Carolingians, with the Capetians making the kingdom's currency the Livre tournois. Saint Martin and Gregory of Tours were from Tours. Tours was once part of Touraine, a former province of France. Tours was the first city of the silk industry. It was taken by Louis XI, as the royal capital under the Valois Kings with its Loire castles and city of art with the School of Tours. The prefecture was partially destroyed during the French Wars of Religion in the late 16th century and again during the Second World War in June 1940.
Gallery (44)
On the map
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