Orléans

No reviews yetCity Centre-Val de Loire, France

Rue Jeanne dArc Tramway Orleans, Orléans, Centre-Val de Loire, France

Hôtel Ville Orléans (FR45) 2022 07 16 2, Orléans, Centre-Val de Loire, France

Orléans château de la Source 1, Orléans, Centre-Val de Loire, France

Orléans église Saint Paterne 1, Orléans, Centre-Val de Loire, France

About Orléans

Joan of Arc made Orléans famous when she lifted the English siege of the city in 1429, and nearly six centuries later the city still celebrates her every spring. The capital of the Centre-Val de Loire region sits on a wide bend of the Loire about an hour south of Paris, at the doorstep of the great châteaux country.

The historic centre has been beautifully restored. Bright limestone facades and half-timbered houses line the streets around the soaring Gothic cathedral, trams glide down the arcaded Rue Jeanne d'Arc, and the riverside quays have become a favourite place for evening walks. A rebuilt house recalls Joan's stay, while fine museums and Renaissance mansions reveal the wealth of the old merchant city.

Orléans makes a good base for the Loire Valley, with Chambord, Blois and the Loire by bike within easy reach. In the city itself, plan for a slow day of walking, from Place du Martroi to the cathedral and the river, plus an afternoon in the flower park at La Source, where the Loiret river rises.

Best seasonApril to June and September; late April to 8 May for the Joan of Arc festivities

Ideal stayTwo days, more as a base for the Loire châteaux

ArrivingTrains from Paris Austerlitz to Orléans or Les Aubrais in about an hour

12 Places Locals Love in Orléans

Landmarks 3

Orléans Cathedral

The Cathedral of Sainte-Croix dominates the skyline with its twin towers, the result of a long rebuilding in Gothic style after Pr...

Place du Martroi

The city's main square is centred on a 19th-century bronze equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, with reliefs around the base showing...

Pont George V

This elegant stone bridge, completed in the 18th century, carries the tram and pedestrians across the Loire straight into Rue Roya...

Museums 3

Maison de Jeanne d'Arc

Joan of Arc lodged in the house of the duke's treasurer during the siege of 1429. The building was destroyed in the Second World W...

Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans

One of the oldest and richest fine art museums in France, set beside the cathedral, covers European painting and sculpture from th...

Hôtel Cabu

In a Renaissance house in the old town, the city's history and archaeology museum displays the remarkable Gallo-Roman bronzes of t...

History 1

Hôtel Groslot

This red brick Renaissance mansion was built in the 16th century for a city bailiff and later hosted French kings; the young King...

Neighborhoods 1

Rue de Bourgogne

Following the line of an old Roman road, this long, narrow street cuts through the medieval heart of Orléans and is lined with res...

Parks 1

Parc Floral de la Source

In the southern district of La Source, this large flower park surrounds the spot where the Loiret river rises from the ground. Ros...

Events 1

Fêtes de Jeanne d'Arc

Every year from late April to 8 May, Orléans celebrates its liberation by Joan of Arc with a tradition that reaches back to the 15...

Nature 1

Orléans Loire Quays

The restored quays along the north bank of the Loire have become the city's favourite place to stroll, cycle or sit with a drink a...

Arts 1

FRAC Centre-Val de Loire

Housed in a former military site, the regional contemporary art collection is famous for its building, Les Turbulences, whose twis...

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