Many visitors following the Loire Valley wine trail visit Tours as part of their trip, and for them the highlights are, of course, the vineyards. For other visitors, the city’s many old buildings comprise the most interesting sightseeing attractions. Tours and some of the small towns in its immediate surroundings are home to some splendid old castles (chateaux) that are winners as far as sightseers are concerned.

Château de Chambord
The largest castle in the Loire Valley is located at Chambord, just outside of Tours, and is notable for its distinctive Renaissance architecture, which is a mix of both French and Italian influences. The castle was built in the 16^th century by King François I as a holiday home and as a means by which he could be in closer proximity to his mistress, the Comtesse de Thoury, whose residence was situated adjacent to Chambord Castle.

Château de Chenonceau 
Situated outside of Tours at a nearby village, Chenonceau Castle dates back to the 16^th century, although the site its sits on saw buildings erected upon it as far back as the 11^th century. The current building was designed by Philibert Delorme, a renowned Renaissance architect. The castle’s interior features a large selection of rooms that were used for different purposes, including the Guard’s Room, the Chapel, the Green Study, the Library and the Gallery.

Cathedral of Tours (Cathédrale St-Gatien)
Construction on this magnificent old building began in 1170, and before the turn of the century the lower portions of the west towers were complete. Further additions were made in subsequent centuries, with the Gothic features of the west portion hailing from the 15^th century. The cathedral’s interior features three naves, one of which houses a 13^th century choir and 14^th century bays. For architecture with true Gothic flamboyance, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Le Vieux Tours
Le Vieux Tours is a picturesque district of the city featuring well-preserved medieval architecture and traditional, old-fashioned cobbled streets. La Place Plumereau is a square that is central to the district and filled with bars and restaurants with open-air seating areas where visitors can enjoy a drink or a bite to eat and watch the world go by. At Boulevard Beranger, the weekly markets are well checking out.

St Martin's Basilica
Not quite as splendid as the Tours Cathedral, but well worth a visit all the same, St Martin’s Basilica is a late 19^th century building that is largely ruins. It’s not possible to gain access to the interior of the basilica, but the exterior views are impressive and make for some good photograph material.