Just about 7-minutes drive from the downtown Tours, the town of Fondettes offers all the amenities necessary for a comfortable and peaceful stay at some of the famous tourist sites. To relax or explore its region, we recommend a few visits to make your stay even more pleasant.
In Fondettes, this emblematic site preserves the rare remains of a third-century Gallo-Roman villa in its courtyards. The rather sober castle offers to the eye towers decorated with amazing checkerboards. It dates from the fifteenth century and resembles a fortress by its thick walls, its gables, its fortified door on one level and by the marks of its drawbridge now disappeared. Its park and wooded gardens are privileged places to walk.
Still in Fondettes near the Membrolle, this preserved abbey is a fortified complex of the Middle Ages classified as a historical monument. The Priory of Lavaray is a fine example of the constructions of this period with a very beautiful tithe barn, a dovecote and a tower of fortification. This tourist hotspot opens its doors for the organization of exceptional events and weddings in its rooms with unique medieval charm.
A few minutes southeast of Fondettes, this magnificent 19th century building is part of the heritage of the Touraine. Its architecture seduces by its bright white stone facades and its harmonious location in the park near the river Choisille. A guided tour is recommended to see its elegant interior where there are beautiful spacious rooms bathed in light.
Less than 8 km from Fondettes, this archaeological site is the delight of young and old by its surprising universe composed of an underground lake and flows of brilliant and strange limestone. These mythical caves were tuffeau (chalk) quarries exploited in the Middle Ages for the construction of the sumptuous Loire Castles.
At a distance of 6.4 km from Fondettes, this centre of creation and exhibition of contemporary art brings a cultural and artistic influence to Tours. The spacious 4,500 m² building was designed by Aires Mateus and has 3 exhibition halls, 2 auditoriums, a cafeteria and a bookshop. This cultural place encourages encounters and sharing in a spirit of openness for artistic productions in agreement with Olivier Debré, the contemporary painter of lyrical abstraction.
To the north of the capital, this building is the former palace of the Archbishops of Tours (from the 4th to the 18th centuries). This remarkable site houses impressive collections of masterpieces including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Delacroix, Monet, Degas… The palace is preserved and it displays a ceremonial of its time with rich furniture, tapestries and sparkling chandeliers evoking the splendour of the 18th century. Outside, its exceptional architecture is surrounded by a very refined French garden.
