Language Courses in Tours, France
Tours and its suburbs has a population of 270,000, making it the largest town in the Loire Valley, followed by Orléans and Angers. It is only one hour from Paris by high-speed train (TGV), situated in the heart of a region listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
It is known as The Garden of France, and there are several parks located within the city, which is located between two rivers, the Loire to the north and the Cher to the south. The buildings of Tours are white with blue slate (called Ardoise) roofs; this style is common in the north of France, while most buildings in the south of France have terracotta roofs.
Tours is famous for its original medieval district, called le Vieux Tours. Unique to the Old City are its preserved half-timbered buildings and la Place Plumereau, a square with busy pubs and restaurants, whose open-air tables fill the center of the square. The Boulevard Beranger crosses the Rue Nationale at the Place Jean-Jaures and is the location of weekly markets and fairs.
Near the cathedral, in the garden of the ancient Palais des Archevêques (now Musée des Beaux-Arts), is a huge cedar tree planted by Napoleon. The city is home to François Rabelais University.
