Tours is a beautiful university town located in the heart of France’s gorgeous Loire Valley, made famous because of its extravagant castles built in the time of French kings. Tours is a great place to stay when exploring these “chateaux” as it’s quite centrally located and offers a lovely café atmosphere in the evenings. One can enjoy an aperitif at one of its many open-air squares, most notably, Place Plumereau, which is surrounded by historic half-timbered houses and is the liveliest part of the old town.