Cité de l'Image

As the name suggests, a cité de l'image is a centre devoted to images and visual media: moving pictures, photography, animation, games and digital art. Venues of this kind usually combine exhibitions with interactive stations where visitors can try out the techniques behind visual storytelling, such as how films are edited, how sound and picture are combined, or how animation brings still drawings to life, which makes them popular with families and school groups.

The city offers a very different kind of heritage nearby, which is why a modern media centre can be a welcome change of pace. Tours stands on the Loire in the Touraine, the centre of the château country, and it has a long religious and literary history. Saint Martin, the fourth-century bishop who became one of the most venerated saints of Gaul, was buried here, and the Basilique Saint-Martin, rebuilt in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, still draws visitors, while the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien has a Gothic facade and remarkable medieval stained glass. The writer Honoré de Balzac was born in Tours in 1799, and the city appears in several of his novels.

The old town is compact and pleasant. The Place Plumereau, a square of half-timbered houses from the late Middle Ages, is lined with cafés and fills with people on warm evenings. The Quartier des Halles and the Marché de la Plaine are good for food and local products, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours, the Château de Tours and the Parc de la Gloriette offer art, history and green space. From Tours, the Château de Chenonceau and many other Loire châteaux can be reached by train, bus or car, and Tours makes a convenient base for exploring them.

Because the centre's exhibits and opening arrangements may change, it is wise to check the current programme before planning a visit, and to confirm whether the venue is open at the time of your trip. When it is, it suits families, school groups and anyone interested in film and digital media. It is also a good wet-weather option after a morning among the city's older sights, offering a climate-controlled break between walks along the Loire and the old town streets.