What to see in Tours

Overview

Sites, monuments and architectural ensembles

Religious buildings

Museums

Parks and gardens

In the surrounding area

Among the main sites and châteaux to see within a fifty-kilometre radius of the city:

Blois ★★
The city, a prefecture, is known for its beautiful château and the more or less historic districts of its center that stretch around it.

Château d'Amboise ★★★
Overlooking the Loire and the town of Amboise, this royal Renaissance-style edifice is one of the Châteaux of the Loire. Around it, you can still see beautiful half-timbered houses.

Azay-le-Rideau Castle ★★★★
One of the most beautiful and best-known of all the Loire Valley castles listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Built in the early 16th century, it is located in the town of the same name between Tours and Chinon.

Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle ★★★
It is one of the Loire Valley castles classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located between Amboise and Blois.

Chenonceau Castle ★★★★
One of the must-see attractions among the Loire Valley castles. It is also the most visited private monument in France.

Château de Gizeux ★★
A blend of medieval and Renaissance styles for this Loire Valley château on the border of Maine-et-Loire.

Langeais Castle ★★★
It's an ancient medieval fortress overlooking the Loire in the heart of the small town of the same name.

Ussé Castle ★★★
A beautiful castle with its formal French garden, part of the Loire Valley châteaux.

Château de Villandry ★★★
A Renaissance château best known for its magnificent gardens near Tours. It is one of the Châteaux of the Loire.

Chinon ★★
It's a departmental sub-prefecture with an old castle, towers, a rather pretty centre, and several museums.

Trôo ★★
This is an ancient troglodytic settlement north of Tours. Its layout, featuring terraced levels, caves, pathways, and staircases, is highly distinctive.

Loire Valley ★★★★
Across four departments (37, 41, 45, 49), the Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its towns, villages, and especially its châteaux between Sully-sur-Loire (45) and Chalonnes (49).

Vouvray ★★
This commune, renowned for its wine, boasts a charming château, troglodytic dwellings, and wine cellars.