Loches.
- WHAT TO DO
- WHAT TO SEE
- WHAT TO EAT
Loches sits 45 kilometres southeast of Tours, reachable in forty minutes by car or fifty by regional train. The town is anchored by its Cité Royale, home to an eleventh-century stone donjon built by Foulques Nerra and a Renaissance logis royal frequented by Agnès Sorel. Loches is worth visiting if you want an intact medieval upper town, serious Loire valley charcuterie, and quiet limestone streets. Look elsewhere if you expect late-night bars, high-speed rail connections, or sprawling renaissance gardens.
Last updated 20 Sept 2026
Field notes
Photographs · Wikimedia Commons.jpg)
Build a Loches itinerary.
Choose up to 4 threads that pull you in. Your plan arrives organised around them.
The Bed
Where to stay in Loches
Which part of town to book, and what each one costs you in walking, noise or quiet.
The Comparison
Loches, or somewhere near it
The places you are realistically choosing between, and the honest case for each.
The Local Record
Where to read more about Loches
The blogs, boards, guides and operators worth bookmarking.
What to do in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Loches splits cleanly in two: the fortified upper citadel commanding the skyline and the bustling lower market quarter hugging the Indre River. Days here follow the rhythm of the morning market, slow museum visits in cool limestone vaults, and late-afternoon walks along the ramparts. It suits travellers who appreciate layered military architecture, unhurried bistro lunches, and a base far quieter than the central Loire châteaux hubs.
24 hours in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Spend morning hours climbing the eleventh-century donjon before crowds gather. Cross to Rue Quintefol for a lunch of local rillons and crusty bread, then tour the Logis Royal and Collégiale Saint-Ours. Finish with an early-evening circuit of the ramparts above the Indre. Select 1 Day above to see it.
2 days in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Dedicate your second morning to the Saturday food stalls on Rue Picois. Walk the scenic Prairies du Roy trail to neighbouring Beaulieu-lès-Loches to see the ancient abbey church, followed by a relaxed dinner featuring géline de Touraine paired with local Chinon red. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
3 days in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Take day three outside the walls. Rent a bicycle for the Forêt Domaniale de Loches, or drive twenty minutes south to the village of Montrésor on the Indrois river. Stop at a local cellar in the afternoon to sample Touraine Chenin Blanc before one last quiet town walk.
Loches Centre-Val de Loire France itineraries by interest
Medieval Fortress in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Climb Foulques Nerra’s thirty-six-metre Romanesque donjon and explore fifteenth-century underground prison cells built under Louis XI.
Royal Heritage in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Tour the Logis Royal, where Joan of Arc met Charles VII in 1429, and inspect the alabaster tomb of Agnès Sorel.
Sacred Architecture in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Study the unique octagonal stone pyramids atop the twelfth-century Romanesque Collégiale Saint-Ours in the upper town.
Weekly Markets in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Shop the Wednesday and Saturday market on Rue Picois for Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine goat cheese, rillons, and rillettes.
Wine & Vineyards in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Taste dry Chenin Blanc and peppery Cabernet Franc from nearby AOC Touraine and Chinon vineyards just down the Indre valley.
Old Town Walks in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Wander the cobbled alleys of the Ville Haute, entering via the fortified fourteenth-century Porte Royale gateway.
Troglodyte Heritage in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Examine tufa limestone quarry dwellings and subterranean cellars carved directly into the cliff sides along the Indre.
Renaissance Art in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
View paintings attributed to Caravaggio and Renaissance masterworks inside the Maison Lansyer and Saint-Antoine gallery.
Forest Trails in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Walk shaded oak and beech paths through the 3,500-hectare Forêt Domaniale de Loches, marked by four eighteenth-century stone pyramids.
Riverside Parks in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Stroll the Prairies du Roy, a restored wetland trail between Loches and Beaulieu-lès-Loches with views of the ramparts.
Local Dining in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Order slow-cooked géline de Touraine black hen and local pork rillons in traditional bistros along Rue des Jeux-du-Roi.
Day Trips in Loches Centre-Val de Loire France
Head five kilometres east to Beaulieu-lès-Loches to explore its massive ruined Romanesque abbey church and quiet alleys.