The old town below the fortress is compact and largely unspoilt. Rue Voltaire is the main street — a long straight run of medieval and Renaissance buildings, mostly in the warm tufa limestone that characterises this part of the Loire. Look for the Maison Rouge (a 15th-century half-timbered house) and the Grand Carroi, the old crossroads at the town's heart.
At 44 Rue de la Lamproie stands the house where Richard the Lionheart died in 1199, after being struck by an arrow while besieging the castle at Châlus. The Thursday morning market in Place Jeanne d'Arc draws producers from across the area and is a good place to stock up on Chinon wine, local chèvre, and rillons — the slow-cooked pork belly that is the region's favourite snack.