The Jardins de l'Évêché — the former bishop's gardens — fill the slope behind the cathedral with formal parterres, lawns, and a long balustraded terrace. The terrace is the single best free viewpoint in town: the Loire bends below you, the slate roofs of the lower town tile down in front, and on a clear day you can pick out the Pont Jacques-Gabriel and the river curving south.
The gardens themselves are a pleasant escape from the streets — old chestnuts, an aviary of small birds, and benches in the shade. The hôtel de ville (town hall) occupies the former bishop's palace beside the gardens, also worth a glance for its classical 18th-century facade. Free, open all year, busiest at sunset.