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Tours contents
Introduction ad how to get there
History,
part 1
History,
part 2
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"
Ne me demandez plus pourquoi j'aime la Touraine.
Je ne l'aime ni comme on aime
son berceau,
ni comme on aime une oasis dans
le desert,
Je
l'aime comme un artiste aime l'art."
So true words of Honore de
Balzac in "Le Lys dans la vallee".
Squeezed between the Loire and the Cher, Tours towers out of the countryside. It
offers herself, like a mistress, to the visitor. Its harmonious urbanism, the
wealth of its architectural patrimony, its strategic position in the centre of
an extremely touristy region makes Tours one of the most attractive cities of
the western France. During WWII the inhabitants were very well aware of this
position, because all bridges were bombed and Tours was destroyed deformed to a
wounded island. Luckily many historical monuments were spared and after 1945 the
city was quickly rebuilt.
Tours seduces by its dynamism. Its “Fetes Musicales”, in July, are one of
the most reputed of the valley of the Loire. The ancient quarters were well
restored, around the gothic-Renaissance cathedral Saint-Gatien and the basilica
Saint-Martin, medieval houses with their wooden panels and majestic Renaissance
hotels particuliers, like the hotel Gouin.
The new build outskirts of Tours worked like a magnet on different great
companies like Michelin. An artificial lake with windsurf facilities was
installed since the Cher was canalised over a distance of 7 km.
Tours, now a city of 130,000 citizens is a lively, exciting and convivial place,
cheerful, friendly. Someone who had a drink on a terrace of the place Plumereau,
will certainly not contradict me. The 28,000 students living in and around Tours
add a lot to this conviviality. The tourist, who decided to reside here for a
few days, will have plenty of opportunities to radiate all around with different
types of transport.
In an economical and infrastructure point of view, is Tours the heart of the
Touraine region. It’s the market place for all agricultural and wine products
of the surrounding areas and in May and September very busy “fairs “ are
organized every year.
Here are a few hints how to get to Tours.
By the road:
---Autoroute A 10: Paris-Tours, 235 km (toll). For Tours leave the autostrade at
Tours-centre. In less than 10 min by the boulevard Heurteloup, you are the heart
of the town, and just at the tourist office.
---Nationale 10: Paris-Tours, 225 km through Chartres, Chateaudun, Vendome and
Chateau-Renault. Leave Paris through the autoroute de l'Ouest (free section) and
turn towards Rambouillet after the Versailles exit. This itinerary will off
course be much more convenient to those who want to take their time or who want
to invest their money in a good bottle of Chinon or a savory meal and not
finance the autoroute money-box.
By train: two stations (two speeds!)
---Gare Montparnasse: for the TGV Atlantique (twelve a day), 1 hour is enough to
connect Paris to Tours.
---Gare d'Austerlitz: for all other trains.
Bibliography
Regions
Gourmandes: Les pays de la Loire, by H.Walden (Paris, ed.Hatier 1993)—Guide du
Patrimoine, Centre, Val de Loire , by Perouse de Montclos (ed.Hachette
1992)—Het dal van de Loire, by A.Sperber (Brussels, ed.Harenberg 1992)—Par
les champs et par les greves, by G.Flaubert (1885)—Guide du Routard 1998
(ed.Hachette)
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Loire
main page
WalkTours-CathedraleSaint-Gatien
Walk Tours-Chateau- Musee
Beaux Arts and others
Walk
Tours-Place Plumereau - Musee du Gemmail
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