Tours, crossed by the Loire, is a flagship city of Indre-et-Loire which was once the capital of the kingdom of France! Its historic center listed by UNESCO testifies in part to this royal heritage.
Near the castles of the Loire, the city offers an international tourist dynamic. Coming to Tours means visiting the city with its bridges such as the Pont Wilson which connects the banks , and it also means giving yourself a page of history, between two sports or urban leisure activities according to your tastes.
Tours is pleasant and historic, thanks to the Loire which offers a good dose of freshness and its various monuments. During your visit to the city, you can stroll on the Loire banks or start the evening there, with bars and festivities organized in the summer.
In the heart of Tours, it is almost as if you were on an island, connected by several bridges including the Stone Bridge also called "Wilson Bridge" . You can then go to the Prébendes d’Oé garden .
In the city, you will see half-timbered houses , but also great monuments such as the Saint-Gatien Cathedral , the bicentenary cedar in the garden of the Museum of Fine Arts or the Basilica of Saint Martin.
The good plan of the summer:guinguettes on the banks of the Cher open on sunny days, go ahead!
Of course, coming to Tours also means getting away from the city to discover the Renaissance castles. By car for historical commentary and trample these French landmarks , or by air, it's up to you!
If you choose the first flight option, you can join the skies of the Loire by helicopter, hot air balloon or ULM 🛩. The sensations are slightly different depending on the aircraft but the panorama is just as surprising.
From above, you witness a demonstration of grandiose, royal and ancestral architecture. Amboise, Chenonceau, Montrichard, Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry… From West to East, castles sit enthroned in the valley , surrounded by equally renowned vineyards:a magical activity.
To visit the city of Tours in an original way, you can get on a boat or more unusual boats :barge, water mark or sandpit for example.
In the evening for a gourmet getaway with an aperitif on the water and romance, or during the day for a "discovery" leisure activity, you can take advantage of the surrounding calm to discover the small islets that strew the Loire River like Île Simon, Aucard, aux Vaches, des Buteaux, but also pass near the "beaches" of the shores of Tours.
Some routes can also take you to the castles of the Loire such as Amboise or Chenonceau sur le Cher . Here is a walk along the water in the heart of the History of France!
During your getaway, whether aerial or not, you can always stop and enjoy some regional grape varieties:Bourgueil, Chinon, Vouvray, Montlouis , etc.
The Loire Valley is vast, and known internationally for its wines ranging from red to white, including rosé d'Anjou! If you want to learn more about the art of making them , the ideal is an introduction to oenology.
On an estate with or without a castle visit (we still recommend to visualize this tradition as a whole!), you will discover the vocabulary of wine merchants, how to properly observe a color and above all, how to taste wines and identify their subtle aromas . Beware of excesses in the practice!
Since Tours is qualified as City of gastronomy , we must therefore honor him! After the wines, here comes an urban activity that is gaining more and more followers:the cooking class.
With all kinds of cuisines, from around the world and new trends such as veganism or exoticism, people love creative recipe ideas .
With a chef or a passionate speaker, you make dishes and/or desserts to taste them at the end. Before the pleasure of the taste buds, you will get your hands dirty !
On the advice of the chef, take your utensils and mix the ingredients in the fairest way to obtain a treat on the plate and in the mouth.
Tours is a city of history and taste. To go there is to discover the castles of the Loire , grandiose historical monuments that attract visitors from all over the world, but it is also a walk along the water.
During a cooking class or during a weekend in a castle with dinner, you will appreciate the art of gastronomy in the Loire, without forgetting the wines that will accompany your meals of kings.
Whether you choose an urban, sporting or more aquatic activity and connected to history, you will enjoy the city and its surroundings without "detours"!
