Top Centre hotels
Castles Tours
33 Reviews 1hour south of Chinon is the beautiful castle of Rivau. You have to drive there (exit st maure) but it is worth it as the gardens are really beautiful ! I went there with my kids and they loved it,...
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Old town Tours
18 Reviews Place Plumereau is the central square of Tours. It is the most picturesque and busiest place in Tours. Restaurants here are affordable, contrary to the habit of raising the price like hell in central...
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Churches Tours
40 Reviews Amateurs of the architecture of the end of the XIX century cannot pass by the extravagant pseudo-Byzantian basils. Sacred Martin's relics is based in a crypt. A legend tells us that he was a soldier...
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Museum Tours
3 Reviews The building of the museum is the former archbishop palace in Tours. One of France best provincial museum, it houses wide range collections of painting and rugs from the great houses of Touraine...
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Loire river Tours
2 Reviews Loire - the river of the French kings. The history of France was managed on coasts of this small but very important river. Earlier it was navigable within all the year. Now its channel is essentially...
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The castle is enframed by two gardens : on the east side Diana de Poitiers` Garden and on the west side Catherine de Medicis` Garden. I loved most the last one because it`s more intimate. On sunset the view of the castle is magnificent. Over 130.000 plants and flowers are used to renew every spring the gardens. Take a break and enjoy the perfume ;the flowers` scent and that of the ancient times.
Since the 16th century, the white silhouette of this castle reflects in the waters of Cher .Pure Renaissance style ,sublimated by its gardens “à la française “; all its beauty is owed to womens. First, built by Katherine de Briçonnet, redecorated and made more attractive by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis , saved from destruction by Madame Dupin.This is the reason for its name given by History : le “Château des Dames”.Comparing with other castles , Chenonceau is small, but impressive. Each room, each vestibule is different, carring the hall-mark of its owner: the vestibule of Katherine de Briçonnet with its tapestries from 17th century, the green cabinet of Catherine de Medicis with its collection of paintings and tapestries, the dark room of Louise de Lorraine decorated with silver tears and thorne crowns.In 1576 ,Catherine de Medicis built the gallery ,60 m. long ,with 18...
This 16th-century structure was never a serious fortress. It certainly offered no protection to its builder, royal financier Gilles Berthelot, when a financial scandal forced him to flee France shortly after the château's completion in 1529. For centuries the château passed from one private owner to another and was finally bought by the state in 1905. Though the interior contains an interesting blend of furniture and artwork, you may wish to spend most of your time exploring the enchanting private park, complete with a moatlike lake.See my Azay-le-Rideau page for more pics and info
Due to its central location, Tours is ideal as starting point for your vacation in the Loire Valley. It's a bustling urban centre, with a great many restaurants, bars and cafés, and, thanks to the student population, a lively nightlife. It has a prettified and fairly animated old quarter, some good museums – of wine, crafts, stained glass and an above-average Beaux-Arts museum – and a great many fine buildings, not least of which is St Gatien's cathedral.More to see and read in my Tours page
Amboise is a small city with a great reputation and a great historical past. The castle, old city and Chateau du Clos-Lucé are the principal points of interest.You can find more pics and info in my Amboise page
Blois is one of the small cities in the Loire Valley with a nice old part (Quartier Vieux Blois), a beautiful cathedral and an interesting castle with a remarkable history. And if that is not enough, do some shopping or enjoy one of the local pubs.This place is also a good starting point to explore the eastern Loire Valley with castles like Chambord, Cheverny, Beaugard.Discover more in my Blois page
Liberated by the indefatigable Joan of Arc on her way to Orléans in 1429, Beaugency was a constant battleground in the Hundred Years War due to its strategic significance as the only Loire bridge-crossing at that time between Orléans and Blois. Remarkably, the 26-arch bridge still stands and gives an excellent view of the once heavily fortified medieval heart of the town. The two central squares – place St-Firmin, with its statue of Joan and a tower of a church destroyed during the Revolution, and place Dunois – are atmospherically lit by flickering gaslights. The square is completed by the rather severe Romanesque abbey church of Notre-Dame.Look for more pics and info in my Beaugency page
Known in French history as the "Château de Dames", built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, embellished successively by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, saved from the harshness of the revolution by Madame Dupin, the charm of the Château de Chenonceau is partly thanks to these women.This enchanting castle may be smaller in comparison to others, but what it lacks in size it makes up in charm. This truly is a magnificent place, deeply rich with history, and is certainly one of the most romantic Châteaus in Loire Valley. Definitely "worth taking the time to visit."The entrance fee is 7 EUR.More pics and info are in my Chenonceaux page
The largest of the Loire château and considered one of the most extraordinary structures in Europe, Chambord sits in the middle of a 13,000-acre royal game forest. Begun by François I in 1519, it took 12 years to build and required 1,800 workers. There are 440 rooms and 365 chimneys on the roof, and a wall 32 km (20 mi) long encloses the forest (you can wander through 3,000 acres of it; the rest is reserved for wild boar and other game). The vast rooms are filled with a variety of exhibits (including a hunting museum) - not all concerned with Chambord, but interesting nonetheless.The entrance fee was 7 EUR.More info and pics are found in my Chambord page.
There are many chateaux in the Loire Valley (most of them in Centre) . Above all one should visit Chenonceau
Mercure Tours Nord Tours
1 Review and 57 Opinions Well so far so good I guess. We just arrived last night and we have not had a chance to head into...
Mercure Chartres Centre Cathedrale Chartres
72 Opinions
La Roseraie Chenonceau
1 Review and 336 Opinions Words cannot describe the pleasure that I felt at this hotel! The owners are AMAZING, the area...
Reviews and photos of Centre attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Centre sightseeing.
More Cities in Centre
Q: Sorry, I have asked many questions re this problem but HELP PLEASE, we decided to use Loche as a base for a 5 day stay. We have to...
A: I think you are spreading yourself too widely including Bayeux in the 5 days. 2 by 6 hours wipes out one day by the time you add getting to and from the train station if...
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