The hôtel de ville (city hall) in Tours was built in Renaissance Revival style in the late 1800s and early 1900s.The Café/Brasserie de l'Univers is an attractive restaurant but it seems to get mixed reviews from customers.
It's a good place to have a coffee or a glass of wine and watch the people passing by.
The Maison Gouïn, now a museum, dates back to the 15th century, with modifications in the 16th.
The Église Saint-Julien, at the south end of the bridge over the Loire, dates back to the 11th century and was originally
a monastery. It features stained-glass windows created by Max Ingrand and nowadays houses a museum
dedicated to the history of the wines of the Loire Valley.
Here are some more of Tours' maisons à colombages (à pans de bois). The ones on the left are on the Place Plumereauin le Vieux Tours, and the ones on the right are on the nearby Place du Grand Marché (map).
Bien jolies photos,
ReplyDeleteThis Renaissance house is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThe Saint-Julien church is very interesting on many points.
Tours would be an attractive place to live in my book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Melinda. Walt and I may well end up living there, if we live long enough.
DeleteOh, that Brasserie looks great :)
ReplyDeleteThe hôtel de ville is an impressive building. Wish we could all hang out at the Brasserie de l'Univers for a coffee. Looks like a nice walkable city.
ReplyDeleteLes chateaux d’Écouen et de Maisons-Lafitte semblent avoir été un modèle pour l’architecte de cet Hôtel de ville.
DeletePS - colombages is finally entrenched in my vocabulary! A small step forward.
ReplyDeleteThe Wikipedia article about maisons à colombages says à colombages and à pans de bois have a subtly different meaning. I'm not sure I understand it.
DeleteInteresting comment Ken....looking on line, pans de bois seems like it can mean both half-timbered and wood frame construction, which is a different thing. Colombages is half-timbered style. Anyway, that's my guess, lol.
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