Learn French in Tours: Location
Tours, the historic heart of the Loire is best known for its fine wines, fabulous Châteaux and the purity of the local accent. Tours is a fascinating University city to be enjoyed all year round whatever your age or interests!
It is a fascinating mediaeval town, part of which was destroyed during the war. Vieux Tours has been restored and forms the heart of the city with half-timbered houses, restaurants for all budgets, cafes galore and plenty of shops and is immensely popular with students and visitors alike. Traditional street markets are open most mornings, throughout the year. Twice a week you can explore the Bvd Beranger Flower Market or the Antiques & Flea Market in the Place de la Victoire.
There are plenty of museums to enjoy, two of the most notable being the Musee des Beaux Arts and the Touraine Wine Museum, which recounts the history of winegrowing and making.
Home to some 30,000 university students, Tours is a friendly and lively city, with a multitude of restaurants and terrace cafes to suit all budgets just a few seconds from the college.
When to study French in Tours?
Winter is the ideal season if you want to concentrate on your studies. Certainly, the weather isn’t good every day and temperatures are cool but it only snows a few days per year. Tourists are rare which means you can visit the châteaux in peace and it’s easy to take photographs.
In March, the trees are in bloom and it starts to warm up. The Spring is a pleasant season during which we often see more mature students who want to combine their studies with a visit to the region. The tourist season gets under way throughout France but the châteaux are less busy than in summer.
Numerous festivals take place in May and June: ‘Aucard de Tours’, a festival of jazz funk, rock, hip hop, rap, French songs, reggae, etc; ‘Vitiloire’, about wine in the region; ‘Jour de Loire’; ‘Le Florilège vocal’, a competition with choirs from around the world; the ‘Rose festivals’; and the classical music festival of the region “Fêtes musicales en Touraine” which has gained an international reputation in the setting of a 12th century grange.
During July and August, people of all ages use their holidays to come to Tours to perfect their French. We don’t offer a ‘holiday course’ because studying is a serious business, but it is true that the teachers give you a bit less homework during these months! In July, the ‘Rayon frais ’ festival takes place, mixing theatre, city art and dance. Throughout the summer, activities take place along the banks of the river Loire: concerts, shows, dances, cinemas, restaurants with dancing, etc. In short, you won’t get bored.
We still have nice days in September and October. In the Touraine region, this time of year is called ‘The summer of St Martin’. Pleasant bike rides await you! Everything restarts after the summer – concerts, theatres, etc. or you can go to Paris for the weekend to see the new art exhibitions, sights, etc.
From the third week of November, you can taste the ‘new’ wines of the region and in December, the city is lit up for the festivities at the end of the year. Why not do your Christmas shopping in France – in French!
Language students of all ages enjoy exploring this delightful city, which has so much to offer the visitor throughout the year.
Local Specialities
The Touraine is a land of good food and good living, and of course great wine – Vouvray, and the red wines of Chinon. The Touraine is famed for its local specialities: rillettes (goose or pork pate), andouillette (tripe sausage), geline, coq-au-vin with Chinon wine, delicious Ste Maure goat cheese, macaroons made by the monks of Cormery, and barley sugar.
