Current Time in Tours, France

Tours is the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department and the most important city in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France, situated at the confluence of the Loire and Cher rivers approximately 240 kilometers southwest of Paris. Often considered the most convenient and best-placed base from which to explore the Loire Valley châteaux, Tours is also a significant city in its own right, with an excellent cathedral, a lively university culture, and a beautifully restored medieval and Renaissance old quarter that reflects its centuries-long role as one of the most important cities in the Kingdom of France.

With a population of approximately 140,000, Tours is a lively and relatively prosperous city with the University of Tours contributing over 27,000 students to the city's energetic cultural and social life. The city has a particular connection to the French language: the Touraine region around Tours has historically been considered the heartland of the purest spoken French, and the city was long held up as the standard of proper French pronunciation and usage.

The history of Tours reflects its central importance to French royal history. In the medieval and early modern periods, when the French court resided in the Loire Valley rather than Paris, Tours was the effective administrative capital of France for much of the 15th century. Louis XI spent much of his reign at the Château of Plessis-lès-Tours just outside the city, and the city flourished as a center of silk weaving, an industry introduced in the 15th century, and of royal financial administration. The city also played a dramatic role in 1940 when the French government, fleeing the German advance on Paris, briefly established itself in Tours before continuing its retreat southward.

The Cathedral of Saint-Gatien of Tours is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, distinctive for its two impressive western towers and for the extraordinarily rich collection of stained glass windows from the 13th to the 15th centuries that fill its nave and apse. The cathedral took nearly four centuries to build, and the variety of Gothic styles represented within a single building makes it a textbook of French Gothic architectural evolution. The Renaissance cloister attached to the cathedral, known as the Psallette, is a particularly beautiful survival of the golden age of French Renaissance arts in the Loire Valley.

The old town of Tours, centered on the Place Plumereau, is one of the most successfully restored medieval town centers in France, its network of half-timbered houses, Renaissance mansions, and cobblestone streets providing an atmospheric setting for the cafes, restaurants, and shops that make it one of the most popular gathering places in the Loire region. The Musée des Beaux-Arts of Tours, housed in the former Archbishop's Palace, contains impressive collections including a Mantegna panel painting and works by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Delacroix.

Tours is surrounded by the greatest concentration of Renaissance châteaux in France: Amboise (where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years and is buried), Chenonceau (spanning the Cher River on its elegant arches), Villandry (with its extraordinary formal gardens), Azay-le-Rideau, Chaumont, and many others are within 30 kilometers. The Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage landscape, with its extraordinary châteaux, abbeys, and troglodyte cave dwellings, is best explored from Tours by bicycle along the Loire à Vélo cycling route.

Tours is connected to Paris Montparnasse by TGV in approximately one hour. The city's extraordinary position as the hub of the Loire Valley heritage landscape, its excellent cathedral, vibrant old town, quality Loire wines including Vouvray and Chinon, and authentic provincial French character make it one of France's most appealing and practical bases for extended heritage exploration.