Tours: Main Attractions

Begin your morning on the Pont Wilson, an 18th-century stone bridge offering sweeping views of the Loire and the Tours skyline. From there, step into the cathedral quarter to discover the Gothic-Renaissance galleries of La Psalette Cloister before entering the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien, where 800 square metres of stained glass span eight centuries. Next door, the Museum of Fine Arts houses Mantegna panels and Rembrandt paintings inside the former Episcopal Palace. After admiring the Beaux-Arts facade of the Town Hall on Place Jean Jaurès, head west to the Basilica of Saint-Martin, built over one of Europe's oldest pilgrimage sites, and the two surviving medieval towers — the Clock Tower and the Charlemagne Tower — that once flanked the original basilica. End the day at Place Plumereau, surrounded by 15th-century half-timbered houses and lively café terraces. The Museum of Fine Arts is closed on Tuesdays, and the Charlemagne Tower requires advance reservation for guided visits (Thursday to Sunday).