In perpetual turmoil, Tours has a knack for combining the gentleness of the Loire with urban vitality. When the sun goes down, the city reveals a festive and convivial atmosphere, from the banks of the Loire to the historic districts, far from its image of “sleeping beauty”.
Tours has a great sense of festivity, an effervescence breathed by its 30,000 students. From May to September, the banks of the royal river become an unmissable meeting place. “La Guinguette de Tours”, a cocktail bar, restaurant and concert stage.
Soirées tourangelles en bord de Loire
It’s also here that you can board one of the traditional boats for a sunset aperitif… A short distance upstream, Rochecorbon is the place to enjoy the winning cocktail of “Loire friture, java and pétanque” on the parquet floor of France’s largest guinguette!
Vieux Tours, the vibrant heart of the city
Back on terra firma, Tours can be explored along its cobbled streets, squares and timber-framed facades. The Place Châteauneuf, with its Italian charm and view of the Tour Charlemagne, offers an elegant pause before returning to the not-to-be-missed Place Plumereau. Voted “the most beautiful aperitif square” by Lonely Planet, it unfurls its café terraces, tapas bars and restaurants in a picture-postcard setting. A veritable epicenter of life in Touraine, it guarantees lively evenings, summer and winter alike.
Tours is an invitation to slow down, savor the moment and enjoy the festive energy.