Place Plumereau

Place Plumereau, known to the people of Tours as Place Plume, is the lively square at the centre of the old town, and it is the place where the city comes out to eat, drink and meet. It lies in the area once known as the Saint-Pierre-le-Puellier quarter, a short walk from the cathedral and the Loire quays, and it is surrounded by narrow lanes that have been pedestrianised. The name honours Charles Plumereau, a local councillor who left his money to the city at the end of the nineteenth century.

The visual appeal comes from the buildings. Around the square stand timber-framed houses of the fifteenth century, with carved beams, jettied upper floors and steep roofs, many painted in muted colours and some with sculpted figures at the corners. The facades lean at slight angles, and the effect is of a medieval market place, even though much of what you see was restored in the twentieth century. Houses of later periods, in stone, stand between the timber ones, so the square shows a short history of local building styles from the Middle Ages to the classical age.

A reminder of an older layer lies at the north side. Under a porch you can see the remains of the church of Saint-Pierre-le-Puellier, a medieval church that was deconsecrated after the Revolution and later lost its building; the excavated foundations and the burial ground that was found beneath them show that the site has been used for worship for more than a thousand years. The trace of the old church gives the square a quiet historical depth that many visitors pass without noticing.

In modern life, Place Plume is the social centre of Tours. In the evening and in the summer its terraces fill with students from the city's universities, couples and visitors, and the atmosphere can be lively until late at night, so it is not a place for quiet sleep if you stay in a hotel nearby. In the daytime it is calmer and suits a coffee or lunch, and the lanes around, such as the Rue du Change and Rue du Grand-Marché, have small shops and restaurants.

The square is public and open at all times, and no admission is charged. It is easy to combine with the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien, the Basilique Saint-Martin and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours, and with a walk along the Loire. The Place du Grand-Marché is nearby.

It suits visitors who like to soak up atmosphere, groups of friends and photographers. Allow an hour, more if you linger on a terrace.