Tours

Tours Cathedral ( Julian H); St Martin reluctantly becoming bishop (© Paradoxplace.com).

Located on the lower reaches of the Loire River between Orléans and the Atlantic coast, Tours (pop. 142,000) is the largest city in the Loire Valley.

Tours has long had a reputation as a conservative, bourgeois city, but the increasing numbers of commuters to Paris (now less than a hour away on the TGV line) have livened it up significantly. The surrounding Touraine region is known for its wines, its châteaux, and for the unaccented perfection of its spoken French.

The religious importance of Tours centers on the popular figure of St. Martin, Bishop of Tours from 371 to 397, whose relics were the focus of medieval pilgrimages. Another important figure is Gregory of Tours, a church historian and bishop in the 6th century. All but two towers of the great medieval Basilica of St. Martin was destroyed in the Revolution, but this has since been replaced with a basilica that enshrines the few relics of Martin that survived the destruction. The Flamboyant Gothic Cathedral of St. Gatien has some fine 13th-century stained glass windows.

City Guide & Trip Planning Tours Map Our own detailed, interactive satellite map of Tours, plus links to more Tours maps. Tours Hotel Reviews Unbiased reviews, ratings and price comparisons on hotels in Tours from fellow travelers. Tours Travel Forum Travel advice and insider tips on Tours from those in the know.

Sacred Sites & Religious Places Basilica of St. Martin This neo-Byzantine basilica stands on the site of previous churches built over the tomb of St. Martin of Tours. Next to it are two Romanesque towers and a Renaissance cloister surviving from the earlier basilica. Cathedral of St. Gatien Dedicated to the first bishop of Tours, this mostly-Gothic cathedral was built at a leisurely pace from 1170 to 1547. Among its notable features are the elaborately decorated west towers and 13th-century stained glass.

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