The downtown core is where travelers want to spend time for reasons of churches, medieval buildings and markets. The Luftwaffe bombed parts of central Tours and those areas were rebuilt starting in 1966. The city's shiny new tram-streetcar runs N-S straight down the path of the worst wartime damage--rue Nationale/ave Grammont. Excellent shopping now awaits visitors on those two above lively streets. *Shown here is one of the streets running just off of that tramway, near Basilique St. Martin.