Marché de la Place du Grand Marché
Tucked into the cobbled heart of the Vieux-Tours neighbourhood, the Wednesday and Saturday market on Place du Grand Marché and its surrounding streets is where locals actually shop. Stalls overflow with rillons de Tours, fresh goat's cheeses from the Touraine, and bundles of asparagus so fat they barely fit in a bag.
What to buy and taste
Rillons — slow-cooked, caramelised pork belly cubes — are the signature charcuterie of Tours, and you will find them piled high at several stalls here. Grab a paper cone and eat them warm while you browse; they taste nothing like the vacuum-packed version sold in supermarkets.
The Touraine is one of France's premier goat's-cheese regions, and the fresh crottins and aged Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine logs on display are extraordinary. Ask vendors for a taste before you buy — most will happily slice a sliver.
The neighbourhood around the market
Place du Grand Marché sits in the middle of a web of medieval half-timbered streets — Place Plumereau is just a two-minute walk away and makes a perfect spot for a post-shopping coffee under the chestnut trees. The whole area is UNESCO-listed as part of the historic centre and the architecture alone is worth the detour.
After the market winds down around 1 pm, duck into one of the cave-style wine bars on Rue du Grand Marché for a glass of Vouvray or Bourgueil; many serve charcuterie boards that effectively turn your morning market haul into lunch.
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