Remarkable trees in Tours

Please note! This route is not signposted.

(S) From Place de la Tranchée, head west on Avenue du Mans, then turn right onto the first street, Rue des Bordiers. Notice the bas-reliefs on the school on your right. Shortly after, on your left, you will find the entrance to the park-and-ride car park. Enter and, a few metres further on, you will find the first of our remarkable trees, the weeping sequoia.

(1) Retrace your steps along Rue des Bordiers, then Place de la Tranchée. At the square, continue to the left and take Avenue Andrée Maginot, to the right of the tram line. Further on, turn right onto Rue du Président Coty. At the crossroads with Rue Jeanne D'Arc, continue straight ahead, ignore two streets on the left, then continue straight ahead at the next crossroads with Rue de la Source. Notice the two beautiful cedars on either side of the street at this point. Just after, you will find the entrance to Parc Colbert la Source on the right.

(2) Enter and take a stroll around this small wooded park, then exit through the same gate. Continue to the right on Rue du Président Coty, which soon turns left. Notice the beautiful magnolia soulangeana in the garden of a private house at No. 60. Continue along the street, which turns right and leads to Rue de la Croix Pasquier. Notice the tree-lined garden of an old house on the right at No. 59. Follow Rue de la Croix Pasquier on the left, then turn right at the first street, Avenue de la République. Continue along this street, going straight on at all the crossroads, until you reach the intersection with Rue du Pas-Notre-Dame. Turn left onto this street. Shortly afterwards, you will see the entrance to the Tourettes swimming pool on your left. Enter and turn right at the corner of the building to reach the pétanque court.

(3) You will then see three beautiful cypress trees. Exit onto Rue du Pas-Notre-Dame via the same route and turn left. Take Rue de l'Oratoire on the right and continue straight ahead until you reach the intersection with Rue Saint-Barthélémy, opposite the cemetery wall. Turn left, then straight ahead at the roundabout onto Rue Frédéric Chopin. At Simply, turn right into the Cimetière de la Salle.

(4) Walk through the cemetery, heading generally south. I suggest the following route, which follows the tree-lined paths: continue straight ahead, slightly to the right, along a hedge of tall conifers. At the junction with a path lined with trimmed deciduous trees, turn left, then right along the Commonwealth Cemetery (soldiers who died during the First World War). Further on, take a tree-lined path on the right, then turn left, heading south, onto another tree-lined path. Go down the steps and continue straight ahead. At the corner of plot 16, you will find, on the left, the simple grave of Jean Royer, the iconic mayor of Tours. Continue straight ahead to reach the chestnut tree-lined path and follow it to the right. Facing the cemetery wall, with the caretaker's house on your left, continue to the right and then to the left to exit the cemetery (before turning left, note the "railway accident grave" opposite and on the right).

(5) Turn left onto Rue Saint-Barthélémy and continue right on this street at the next intersection. Ignore Rue de Vildé on your right and continue straight ahead on Rue du Nouveau Calvaire. Opposite the Church of Saint-Symphorien, turn right onto Rue Losserand, then left onto Rue du Vieux Port, which leads to Quai Paul Bert. Note the row of lime trees on Quai Paul Bert opposite and on the left.

(6) Cross over to take the Passerelle Saint-Symhorien, or Pont de Fil, opposite. Cross a small branch of the Loire, Île Aucard and its sports facilities, then the main branch of the Loire. You will arrive at Avenue André Malraux. Cross it and turn left. Take the first path on the right to enter the grounds of the Château de Tours. Cross straight ahead, then turn right onto Cours de l'Armorial to reach Rue Lavoisier. Follow it on the left, pass in front of Saint-Gatien Cathedral, ignore Rue Fleury on the left and arrive at the entrance to the Jardin du Musée des Beaux-Arts.

(7) Before entering the park, cross Rue Lavoisier to walk around the Jardin François Sicard on your right. Exit through the same gate and cross Rue Lavoisier again to enter the Jardin du Musée des Beaux-Arts opposite and discover our second remarkable tree, the Lebanese cedar. Walk around the garden and exit onto Rue Lavoisier.

(7) Turn left and immediately take the first street on the left, Rue des Ursulines. Further on, ignore Rue du Petit Pré on the right. At the next intersection, turn right onto Rue François Clouet, then enter Jardin Mirabeau on the right. Cross the garden heading south to exit onto Rue Jean Goujon. Continue straight ahead on Rue de Loches to reach Boulevard Heurteloup.

(8) Cross the first road and turn right onto the path in the middle of the boulevard. When you reach the Tourist Office and the Vinci Convention Centre, cross the boulevard again on the right to enter the public area of Square de la Préfecture. Cross this small garden and exit on the other side onto Rue Buffon. Turn left to cross Boulevard Heurteloup and head towards the station, passing in front of the Grand Hôtel.

(9) In front of the station, turn onto the second street on the right, Rue Charles Gille, and follow the tram line until you reach Avenue de Grammont. Cross it and continue on the left. Ignore Rue Origet on the right and then, further on, turn right onto Rue Roger Salendro. Continue along this street until you find the first entrance to the Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé on the left.

(10) Enter to discover this garden, which is classified as a remarkable garden. Don't miss the most beautiful trees: a group of sequoias on the south side and a group of bald cypresses on the island in the pond. Exit the garden through the north-west gate. Take Rue Roger Salengro on the left, turn right at the first street, Rue Georget, then take the second street on the left, Rue d'Entraigues. Continue straight ahead on this street, crossing Rue Giraudeau and then Boulevard Tonnellé. Shortly after this intersection, you will find the entrance to the Botanical Garden on the right.

(11) Enter and explore the garden, heading generally north. Don't miss our third remarkable tree, a ginkgo biloba, located not far from the refreshment bar, toilets and garden gate leading to the CHRU (the tree's location on the IGN map is incorrect). Further on, discover the greenhouses, continue north and exit the garden onto Boulevard Tonnellé. Follow it to the left and, at the next intersection, continue, veering slightly to the left, onto Rue du Docteur Chaumier and end up on Avenue Proudhon.

(12) Cross over, climb a few steps, then turn right to walk along the Loire at a higher level. Further on, take the paved ramp that descends to the right towards the riverbank, then continue on the path to the right, heading east, with the Loire on your left. At the car park, pass under the Pont Napoléon bridge. At the end of the car park, look for two narrow staircases on the right, one going west and the other east.

(13) Take the one that goes up towards the west to reach the dyke. Continue straight ahead along Rue Ferdinand Dubreuil to reach Rue des Tanneurs. Cross the road and turn left to walk along Place Duval. Immediately afterwards, turn right onto Rue Étienne Marcel, then left onto Rue des Cerisiers. Turn right onto Rue Bretonneau, then left onto Rue du Mûrier. At the end of this street, notice Place du Mûrier on the left and the tree that gives it its name.

(14) Continue on the right along Rue Briçonnet to reach Place Plumereau. Go around the square on the right to take Rue du Change to the south-east. At the intersection with Rue de Châteauneuf, continue straight ahead, still on Rue du Change, to reach Rue des Halles. Turn right, then take the first street on the left, Rue Julien Leroy, which soon joins Rue Rapin. Turn right onto this street, which leads to Place Gaston Pailhou, opposite Les Halles. Turn left and, further on, turn onto the second street on the left, Rue Rabelais. Turn right onto Rue Léonard de Vinci and you will arrive at Rue de Clocheville. Take this street on the left and you will soon find the entrance to Square Sourdillon.

(15) Enter and notice the beautiful sycamore maple tree. Exit through the same gate, turn left, then take the first street on the left, Rue de la Grandière, and continue straight ahead to Rue Néricault Destouches. Turn left onto this street, then right onto Rue Descartes. Do not walk past the entrance to the Basilica of Saint-Martin, but turn right before it onto Rue Baleschoux. When this street turns left, notice a beautiful filaria tree on the right.

(16) Continue in the same direction along Rue Richelieu and go straight ahead at the next two crossroads. At the end of the street, turn left onto Rue des Déportés. You will arrive at Place de la Résistance. Turn right, then right again onto Rue du Maréchal Foch to reach Rue Nationale (E).

The tram connects the starting and finishing points: from Rue Nationale, take the tram towards Vaucanson and get off at Tranchée (€1.50 per trip). Stand at the back of the tram to enjoy the beautiful view stretching southwards.

The time indicated does not take into account the time you will spend exploring the various parks, gardens and other squares.

Urban environment. Although your eyes will mostly be focused on the treetops, watch out for dog mess on the pavements and flower beds.

Discover more walks in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

From (S) to (1) Place de la Tranchée, recently developed for the tram service in 2013.
At the beginning of Rue des Bordiers, bas-reliefs on a school evoke La Fontaine's fables.
The weeping sequoia. This giant weeping sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum pendulum), formerly known as Wellingtonia, was planted around 1880 by the Pinguet family on the site of their nursery. It is 6 metres tall, with a trunk circumference of 3 metres at 1 metre above the ground and a span of 16 metres. It is the largest tree of its species in France and has been classified as a remarkable tree since 2011.

(2) Parc Colbert la Source. Created in the 19th century, the park is owned by the Franciscan Sisters. However, it is maintained by the City, which allows it to be open to the public. The entrance is on Rue du Président Coty. Landscaped in the English style, it contains century-old cedars, a replanted sequoia, a magnificent ginkgo tree, and a remarkable holly tree. Perennial plants bloom there throughout the seasons. The park takes its name from the crystal-clear spring, which can be admired under a covered shelter.

Between (2) and (3) Magnolia at 60 Rue du Président Coty, garden and beautiful old house at 59 Rue de la Croix Pasquier. This neighbourhood is a mix of old houses and apartment buildings.

(3) Séquoias des Tourettes. On the pétanque court, in the Tourettes sports complex, there is a group of three giant sequoias. These trees, which are 130 years old, are 35 metres tall and have a circumference (trunk 1 metre above the ground) of 6 metres.

(4) La Salle Cemetery. Commonwealth graves, grave of Jean Royer (at the corner of plot 16). La Salle Cemetery opened in 1856. It is the main cemetery in Tours and currently covers 9 hectares. It is rich in monuments of all kinds, with statues, medallions and busts frequently adorning the graves of local celebrities, many of whom have had streets in the city named after them.
Shortly before (5), before turning left to leave the cemetery, notice the "railway accident grave" on the other side of the path and on the right: On 30 March 1878, on the Le Mans-Tours line, in Vernay, on the border between St Christophe and Dissay, the bridge over the Escotais river collapsed as a goods train was passing, killing two people, including François Boileau, the driver, who is buried here.

Between (5) and (6) As you walk down Rue Saint-Barthélémy, notice the tall cedar trees in the distance, rising above a private park.

Between (6) and (7) The row of lime trees (Tilia europea) on Quai Paul Bert, planted at the end of the 19th century. The trees are 15 to 20 metres tall.
The Loire River, which you cross on the "Pont de Fil" bridge.
The Château de Tours, an exhibition venue, and its tree-lined courtyard.
Saint-Gatien Cathedral.

(7) The François-Sicard Garden. The trapezoidal shape of Place François-Sicard is the result of successive changes to the plot layout: alignment of the south bank, which was divided into lots in 1781, alignment of the west bank with Rue Bernard-Palissy in 1816, and the retreat of the north bank between 1818 and 1835. At the request of local residents and following the example of major French cities, the municipality decided to transform this square into a recreational area. The creation of a park was entrusted to landscape architect Eugène Bühler, who drew up a plan dated 1864. Crossed by a winding path, the square is planted with trees and shrubs whose foliage conceals the irregularity of the layout, which follows the configuration of the roads. The arrangement of rocks from which a waterfall flows into a pond is reminiscent, in miniature, of the character of the landscaped parks of the private residences of the time. The statue of Michel Colombe replaces the monument in honour of the three Tours doctors Bretonneau, Trousseau and Velpeau, created by François Sicard but melted down during the Second World War. The glass stele, created in memory of Honoré de Balzac by the sculptor Jean-François Wiart, was installed in 2000.
The cedar tree in the Jardin du Musée des Beaux-Arts. Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani), classified as remarkable in 2011. Planted in 1804, it is 31 metres tall, with a span of 33 metres and a trunk circumference of 7.50 metres at 1 metre above the ground. Its branches extend over an area of 600m2.

Between (7) and (8) Beautiful old houses.
The Mirabeau Garden. This park originated as a former religious establishment. In the 12th century, the Saint-Jean-des-Coups priory was founded here, with a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. In 1777, the city of Tours used part of the priory garden to create a cemetery. Affected by the devastating flood of 1856, it was closed in 1889. Inaugurated on 25 December 1891, the Parc Mirabeau was designed by Louis-Ernest Madelin, head gardener of the Botanical Garden. It was laid out on part of the former cemetery, with the rest of the land being used for the construction of a school complex. From the original layout of the site, the designer retained the chestnut tree-lined avenue that led to the chapel. This was replaced by a bandstand built in the same year in the Rococo style. The park is adorned with several works by artists from Tours. A Corinthian-style iron fountain column was erected during the inauguration. It is topped with the customary bust of the Republic. In 1905, the park received the marble sculpture by Camille Alaphilippe, "Les mystères douloureux... l'enfant, et demain..." (The painful mysteries... the child, and tomorrow...). In 1909, a monument was erected in memory of the Tours caricaturist Jules Baric. However, the bronze bust was melted down in 1942, leaving only the enamelled sandstone column.

Between (8) and (9) The shaded avenue of Boulevard Heurteloup, the Tourist Office.
The Square de la Préfecture. The original garden is now divided into two parts: the private garden of the Prefecture and the Square de la Préfecture. The latter was designed by Louis and René Decorges in 1932. The square took on the appearance of a composite-style garden, inspired by both English and French styles. A statue of Anatole France, sculpted by François Sicard, adorns this space. Dominated by the presence of a magnificent 35-metre-high hundred-year-old plane tree, chestnut trees form a screen of greenery and, in the clearings, mimosas and a ginkgo tree find their place. Lush climbing roses provide a link to the Vinci Convention Centre.

Between (9) and (10) Tours Station and its new colourful glass roof. Shops.

(10) The Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé. This garden is laid out on a marshy site formerly occupied by vegetable gardens, the income from which, known as prébendes, was paid to the provost of Oé under the Ancien Régime. Later, the garden project was entrusted to Eugène Bühler and his brother Denis. In the spirit of charity workshops, the contractor Morin recruited labourers from among the workers left unemployed by the crisis of the 1870 war. Work began in 1872 and was completed in 1874. Eugène Bühler designed a landscaped garden inspired by the English tradition. The winding paths offer visitors seclusion, while the intersections provide views of the composition. The trees, grouped by species in odd numbers, give the illusion of a wood. The installation of a water feature and the introduction of exotic species characterise the landscape architect's imprint. Over time, the garden has been enriched with structures and works of art: a statue of Pierre de Ronsart by Georges Delpérier, a bust of General Meusnier by Henri Varenne, a monument to Racan by François Sicard, and a work by Michel Audiard representing Léopold Sédar Senghor, a lover of the garden. In 2003, the garden was listed as a historic monument and classified as remarkable by the Ministry of Culture.
Of particular note:
A persimmon tree, native to China and planted in 1874.
The group of seven giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) labelled "remarkable" in 2011, in the Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé. Planted in 1874 by landscape architect Eugène Bühler, they reach a height of 30 metres and have a circumference of 7 metres. In their native California, they can reach heights of 100 metres.
Bald cypresses. Planted in 1874, they are 30 metres tall and over 5 metres in circumference. These trees with aerial roots are also magnificent in autumn, when their needles turn orange.

Between (10) and (11) After leaving the garden, the route is a little monotonous. However, there are some beautiful "special features" (three-storey townhouses) on Rue Salengro and at the beginning of Rue d'Entraigues.

(11) In the Botanical Garden, note:
The 40-écu tree in the Botanical Garden. This specimen of Ginkgo biloba, classified as a remarkable tree in 2011, was planted in 1843. It has a circumference of 7 metres at ground level and a height of 23 metres. It is a male specimen onto which a female branch was grafted in 1910.
A Japanese pagoda tree planted in 1850, a 150-year-old Osage orange tree native to North America. But also a paulownia, a Virginia tulip tree, an evergreen sequoia, a Caucasian wingnut, a Persian parrotia, a striped oriental thuja, etc.
For more details about the Botanical Garden, on Visorando, refer to the "things to see" section of my hike "Let's go see the rose".

Between (12) and (13) The banks of the Loire.

Between (13) and (14) Historic district of Tours.
The mulberry tree. On Place du Mûrier, in the centre of Old Tours. Balzac sets his short story "Maître Cornelius" in this neighbourhood, mentioning that the character planted the first mulberry trees in Tours for silkworm cultivation. This tree is the only remaining example of its species in this historic neighbourhood. When the large black berries fall in summer, the small square is covered with them. This may be why the tree has recently been pollarded.

Between (14) and (15) Historic district of Tours. Beautiful residences on Rue Léonard de Vinci. For more details on this neighbourhood, refer to the "Sights" section of my "Architectural Heritage of Tours" walk on Visorando.

(15) Square Sourdillon. At the corner of Rue de Clocheville and Rue de la Grandière, Square Sourdillon is home to the mansion known as "Torterue", dating from the Second Empire. This peaceful, shaded spot is home to large trees, such as the remarkable 30-metre-high sycamore maple.

(16) The filaria. On Rue Balsechoux, this shrub, similar to the olive tree and native to North Africa, survived the bombings of the Second World War. Note the equipment installed to prevent untimely urination!

(E) Town centre, shops.