I’m continuing with my Loire Valley theme (you’ll find my other articles on the subject by following this link) to tell you about the rest of our little journey along the Loire with my favorite photographer. Today, we’re stopping in one of the most important cities in this region: Tours. It was our first visit to this city, and I think that, unfortunately, our time there was a bit short. We only had one day (not even a full one) to discover it, which I think is a bit too tight… The city of Tours is nevertheless a very pleasant place to stroll, wander around, and explore through its winding streets.
It was also a great opportunity for a lovely picnic by the Loire river with my fellow blogger The Green Geekette, who lives in the area.
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Guided tour of the city of Tours with a Greeter
That’s exactly what we did, as we were treated to a guided tour with a greeter named Sarah (we’d like to take this opportunity to thank her again warmly for the time she spent with us). The concept of greeters is really nice and a very good deal, since the greeter welcomes tourists for free and like a friend for a personalized walk. They are often a local resident who is passionate about their city or region.
For your information, this is a great tip you can find all over France and the world because the concept is truly international, so don’t hesitate to take a look at their website when you travel! We started our walk in front of the Tours tourist office and finished at the CCCOD, which I’ll tell you more about below. We also took the opportunity to tour the city’s impressive cathedral.
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Visiting the CCCOD in Tours
The Olivier Debré Contemporary Art Creation Center (CCCOD) was inaugurated at the beginning of 2017. The building, which is almost worth a visit on its own, was designed by Portuguese architects, the Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus brothers. The venue features exhibitions by contemporary artists but also includes a cafe and a bookstore.
I really loved the artwork in the temporary exhibition by Per Barclay (which unfortunately ended in September), Chambre d’huile, a black oil floor with a mirror effect that creates a dizzying sensation.
Good deals:
- Free guided tours on Thursday evenings and Saturdays at 4:00 PM (no extra charge on top of the entrance ticket) with a mediator
- Every Wednesday, children can participate in the #ccckoi workshop, an introduction to contemporary art through recreational workshops, for those under 18
- For the reopening following the lockdown, admission, tours, and workshops at the CCC OD will be free for all visitors from May 19th to May 30th 2021
Olivier Debré Contemporary Art Creation Center Jardin François 1er 37000 Tours Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM, with late-night hours on Thursdays until 8:00 PM Temporary exhibition: Lee Ufan, Korean artist, from July 8th to November 12th, 2017 Price: €6 for adults / €3 reduced rate
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Thanks to the Centre-Val de Loire Tourism Board for this warm welcome.
I hope that all this has made you want to discover or rediscover Tours, and if you also have your own recommendations and favorite spots for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on the Loire Valley in the Centre-Val de Loire region below:
⇒ All my articles on the Loire Valley
⇒ All my articles on the Centre-Val de Loire
MY ARTICLES ON THE LOIRE VALLEY
⇒ The Loire Valley Castles
⇒ Visiting Orléans
⇒ Visiting Blois
⇒ Visiting Tours
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
