Tours, France

Straddling a spit of land between the rivers Loire and Cher, the ancient cathedral city of TOURS is the chief town of the Loire valley. It has the usual feel of a mid-sized provincial city, with uneasy shifts between the strikingly grand and depressingly modern. However, for all that, it has its charms, with some good bars and cafés, and some fine restaurants. It has a prettified and animated old quarter, some unusual museums – of wine, crafts, stained glass and an above-average Beaux-Arts museum – and a great many fine buildings, not least St Gatien cathedral. It's also the main transport link to the great châteaux of Villandry, Langeais, Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise.