Tours (with a silent s ) is an important city located in the Loire Valley of west-central France. With a city population of 140,000, and 360,000 in the agglomeration, Tours is the largest city in Centre-Val de Loire, though the status of regional capital is held by Orléans. Tours sits on both the river Loire and its large tributary the Cher, with the city centre located between the two. The city has a number of attractions, including two cathedrals, a number of interesting museums and great local cuisine. Furthermore, Tours is excellently placed to serve as a base from which to explore the countless châteaux of the Loire Valley. The administrative department of Indre-et-Loire, of which Tours is the prefecture, is known almost exclusively to residents by its much older name of the Touraine, and is renowned for its wines and for the supposed perfection of its local spoken French.