TOURS is our closest big city (45km away) which has an excellent covered food market - Les Halles, open most days - and a host of good shops, as well as a wonderful cathedral and an amphitheatre dating back to the 4th century. We are also close to ANGERS, with its famous tapestry and castle, as well as historic SAUMUR and its lofty chateau, perched high above the Loire. RICHELIEU takes the visitor back to the time of the famous Cardinal who founded it, with its grid system and grand houses built for his friends.
We are also a stone’s throw from the beautifully restored Abbaye Royal de FONTEVRAUD, the final resting place of Richard the Lionheart, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine; their grave effigies are on display in the church here.
Not forgetting PARIS which is very accessible by fast train from Tours to Gare Montparnasse. With a journey time of under an hour, it is a very doable day trip.