Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens), Tours (must see)

Botanical Garden of Tours, located on Boulevard Tonnellé, is a cherished 5-hectare municipal botanical garden and arboretum with a rich history dating back to 1843. Established through public subscription and spearheaded by pharmacist Jean-Anthyme Margueron, it stands as Tours' oldest public garden. Originally designed to support the newly created General Hospice and the Preparatory School of Pharmacy in 1841, the garden began with a diverse collection of approximately 2,000 medicinal and exotic plants. This collection was housed within greenhouses, an orchard, and the garden proper.

Tragically, the garden suffered severe flooding from the Loire River twice, once in 1848 and again in 1856, reaching depths of up to 2 meters. These events necessitated extensive rebuilding efforts, including the replacement of many trees. The garden continued to evolve, adding an orangery and an animal park in 1863, followed by the construction of new greenhouses in 1890 under Louis Madelin's direction. These greenhouses, which included cold, temperate, and hot environments, marked a significant development, and the garden's first seed catalog was published in 1901. However, the greenhouses sustained damage during World War II due to bombardments.

Today, the Botanical Garden of Tours boasts around 2,000 taxa, meticulously organized across various themed sections. The north part of the garden features regular parterres along a magnolia-lined avenue, complete with a pool adorned with water lilies and lotus. This area was renovated in 1980 to include themed gardens and a phylogenetic garden. The eastern section is dedicated to bulbs, rhizomes, and perennials and includes a garden illustrating plant evolution. The southern portion of the garden showcases an impressive English-style arboretum, a pond, and a "garden of simples," reminiscent of medieval botanical collections. To the west, visitors can explore a heath, bog, Mediterranean garden, and an alpine garden.

Additional facilities in the Botanical Garden include an orangery, exhibition greenhouses, and a small animal area, making it a comprehensive and educational destination for botany enthusiasts and the general public alike.