Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tours
POP 139,958
Bustling Tours has a life of its own despite being one of the hubs of castle country.
It's a smart, vivacious kind of place, filled with wide 18th-century boulevards, parks
and imposing public buildings, as well as a busy university of some 25,000 stu-
dents.
Sights & Activities
The old city encircles place Plumereau (locally known as place Plum), about 400m
west of rue Nationale.
MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS
( 02 47 05 68 73; 18 place François Sicard; adult/child €4/2; 9am-6pm Wed-
Mon)
Originally the archbishop's gorgeous palace, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is
now a fine example of a French provincial arts museum, with grand rooms decor-
ated to reflect the period of the artworks on display. Look out for works by
Delacroix, Degas and Monet, as well as a rare Rembrandt miniature and a Rubens
Madonna and Child
.
Art Museum
CATHÉDRALE ST-GATIEN
(place de la Cathédrale; 9am-7pm)
With twin west towers stretching skyward
through a latticework of Gothic decorations, flying buttresses and gargoyles, this
cathedral's a show-stopper - especially known for its intricate stained glass, partic-
ularly the rose windows above the organ. On the north side, the
Cloître de la Psal-
lette
(adult/child €2.50/free; 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Mon-Sat, 2-6pm Sun,
closed Mon & Tue Oct-Mar)
was built from 1442 to 1524.
Cathedral
MUSÉE DU COMPAGNONNAGE
( 02 47 21 62 20; 8 rue Nationale, in Cloître St-Julien; adult/child €5/3.30;
9am-noon & 2-6pm, closed Tue mid-Sep-mid-Jun)
In addition to traditional profes-
sions such as stonemasonry, carpentry and blacksmithing, the
compagnonnages
(guild organisations) welcome in many metiers, including pastry chefs, coopers and
locksmiths. Works range from exquisitely carved chests and staircases, to hand-
made tools, booby-trapped locks and enormous cakes (one took 800 hours to
make, in the shape of Hospices de Beaune, with 20kg of dough and tiny sheets of
gelatin for windows).
Craft Museum
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