What to see in Orléans in one day, city of Joan of Arc in the Loire Valley

Un trip to the Loire Valley, in the center of France, has as an obligatory stage a visit to the city of Orleans.

It is what was the capital of France in the 10th century and is currently the capital of the Central Loire Valley Region.

Now Orleans It is a reference for those of us who travel in route from Spain to Paris, but above all for the increasingly more tourists who visit the Loire Valley either by car or bicycle visiting its famous castles.

Curiosities history of Orleans

With 120.000 inhabitants today, the history of orleans has a long tradition linked to the activity of transport of goods by boat by Loire river.

It is now known as the cosmetic citywell in Orleans The most important companies in this sector in France are concentrated.

But as a curiosity I will tell you that in the past it has been known as the vinegar city because in the 300th and XNUMXth centuries there were up to XNUMX companies that produced it.

Precisely this activity arose at a time when wine was transported by river and a lot of it arrived vinegared, but currently in the city there is only one company that produces and markets vinegar.

Looking ahead to your visit, I tell you that Orleans It is one of those French cities where tranquility reigns, like, for example, Poitiers.

This is largely due to the fact that the university is located on the outskirts of the city, about 10 kilometers away, so Orleans It is not characterized by a great university atmosphere, as is Rennes.

Orleans, World Heritage Site

From a tourist point of view, the year 2000 was a before and after in the most recent history of the city ​​of orleans, well it was when the Loire Valley it was declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco.

It also coincided with the arrival of a new mayor who decided to recover the historical Center, which at that time was very degraded and was even an unsafe area.

The result is that now Orleans It is one of the most visited cities by those who, for example, do the Loire Valley cycle route, the longest and busiest in France.

Proof of this great boom in tourists traveling by bicycle through this area is that the trains that connect the cities of the Loireat Orleans a Tours, carry special wagons with a large space reserved on their lower platform for the transport of bicycles.

The best things to see and do when visiting Orleans

When you start the visit of the city of Orleans, the first thing you will observe is the great importance that the figure of Joan of Arc, character of the history of France which currently in certain areas represents the feeling of being French.

Equestrian statue of Joan of Arc in Orleans

The best exponent of this importance is the presence of a equestrian statue of Joan of Arc in the center of the current heart of Orleans, martroi square.

And its good there are many people who think that Joan of Arc, known as the Maid of Orleans, was born or lived his entire life in this city, in reality he was only there for 10 days.

It was on the occasion of the famous battle in 1429 in which he liberated the city from the siege of the English during the Hundred Years War.

Visit the House of Joan of Arc in Orleans

Linked to this figure, in Orleans you can visit what is known as House of Joan of Arc, which is actually an emulation of the original house where Joan of Arc was during that battle.

The original house was destroyed during the bombings of the Second World War that destroyed the historic center of the city and it was rebuilt elsewhere with the initiative of the President de Gaulle, specifically, in the current Charles De Gaulle square.

At the back of the house is the small Jaques Boucher Garden where part of the tower and the remains of the St. Paul's Church, 17th century.

Avenue of Joan of Arc in Orleans

In addition, the large avenue that connects the central martroi square with the orléans cathedral now it has the name Joan of Arc.

This avenue was created by the Bourbons precisely to have a front view of the cathedral of the saint cross, and initially acquired the name Bourbon Street.

If you visit the city after May 8, the day that the Feast of Joan of Arc, and until the beginning of autumn, you will see this avenue decorated with spectacular and colorful flags, among which you will identify the one of the city, in yellow and red.

That day, military parades are held under the flags that decorate the streets of the center, and a young woman is chosen who, as she would do Joan of Arc, tour the city on horseback.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Orleans

For its part, the orléans cathedral, of Gothic style, has had a long construction process, since in it you can currently see from 13th century chapels to 17th century chapels in its central neoclassical style area.

In this area, the large rose window that represents the Sun King.

But also the front towers are from the 19th century, as well as the stained glass windows that show the history of Joan of Arc, made just at the time when it was attempted that the Vatican will declare it holy.

Also noteworthy is the wooden choir stalls, from the 17th century, as it was protected during the French Revolution.

Hotel Groslot, former town hall of Orleans

Almost opposite the cathedral you have the old town hall building known as Hotel Groslot.

In this renaissance palace of the 16th century, when at that time it was like a small castle in the Loire, which has been the headquarters of the Orleans City Hall from the 80th century to the XNUMXs.

This building that you can visit for free, which had an extension in the 19th century while maintaining its brick construction, is now used for event celebrations and weddings.

In the entrance patio you can see a bronze statue of Joan of Arc, in which you can see that, as a reflection of the resistance of the holy, the shots he received during the Second World War.

Inside there is a copy of a famous painting by Ingres also dedicated to Joan of Arc, the original of which is preserved in the Louvre museum in Paris.

Half-timbered houses in the historic center of Orleans

From the cathedral, heading towards the Loire river, you arrive directly at historical Center de la ciudad.

On your walk you will see corners with half-timbered houses from the 2000th and 300th centuries, which were brought to light through urban rehabilitation in XNUMX, and of which there are about XNUMX catalogued.

In this historic center there is no uniform architecture, but buildings from different periods and characteristics, as you will also see houses from the 17th century built with bricks and white stone, with an aesthetic similar to that of the old town hall building.

A corner worth highlighting is the Belfroi Tower from the 15th century, whose bell was used to warn of the attack of enemies and which was a symbol of the power of the city.

Burgundy Street, axis of the historic neighborhood of Orleans

La burgundy street is main axis of the historic neighborhood of Orleans and is also known as the restaurant street , which extend for two kilometers in length, and among which there are many oriental cuisine.

That is the place where you will find the most atmosphere of leisure in Orleans, although I also point out the initial section of the St. Catherine Street what part of the martroi square, where there are restaurants and bars open until 11 at night.

Chatelet pier on the Loire River in Orléans

Before he Loire Valley was declared Heritage, the river area was a large car park in the river area was car parking.

From then on this area was rehabilitated so that the current Chatelet Pier and the river bank were recovered for the use of the inhabitants and visitors of Orleans,

Then the so-called Chatelet square with the aim of enabling a place with restaurants and leisure establishments, where there is now a leisure center with cinemas and an underground car park, as well as a garden with terraces at the top of the buildings.

On the river bank there are several ganguettes, typical leisure places of the Loire Valley where you can drink, eat and listen to music, and where university students meet.

You can also eat on a boat-restaurant, or have a drink on another traditional boat.

Orleans It currently has three kilometers of docks in the section where the city is crossed by the Loire river.

The first antecedent of Chatelet Pier It is the first that was made in the Roman-Gallic city, and then in the Middle Ages have a great boom with thousands of boats that were dedicated to transporting goods along the river.

The goods arrived from Mediterranean coast by rhone river, and a route through the area of Massif Central allowed them to be taken to the Loire.

For its part, Atlantic Ocean the goods that came from America, like cocoa.

But when the ferrocarril, whose first line in France was the one that joined Paris with Orleans, train transportation began to replace what until then had been carried out by boat through the Loire.

Traditional boat ride on the Loire River

In your visit of Orleans you can make a traditional boat ride on the Loire River.

Starting from the aforementioned Chatelet Pier, in the summer you can sign up for one-hour excursions sailing on a traditional boat through the Loire river, during which you will learn all the history and vicissitudes of this famous river.

During this excursion, which is also conducted in Spanish, you will climb the course of the river and also see the remains of the 21-arch bridge that was built in the XNUMXth century, and which was the famous now-disappeared bridge that crossed Joan of Arc in his victory against the English.

If you prefer, you can use the same boat for the transfer service to the nearby Charlemagne Island, an appropriate place for hiking.

It should be noted that every two years, in the month of September, the Loire Festival, an event that brings together more than 200 river boats and in which each year they invite a different country.

Crypt of Saint Aignan in Orleans

In your visit of Orleans you can see two crypts that are a sample of the religious tradition in the city.

Saint-Aignanwhoever he was Bishop of Orleans, at the time of the expulsion of Atila and the Huns, in the year 451, tradition says that he performed a miracle with some wasps.

A church was built in his honor outside the 2nd century walled city in the 5th century, and since then it has become the Orleans pattern.

In the 11th century the crypt to store his relics, and two centuries later, the old building was replaced by a Gothic church.

Finally in the 19th century it stopped being the patron saint of Orleans upon being named Joan of Arc.

In fact, today its history is not very well known in the city itself, although you can enter its crypt during the guided tours organized by the tourist office.

Crypt of Saint Avit in Orleans

For its part, Saint Avit He was a monk and hermit who lived in the 11th century in this city, and of whom tradition says he could heal by touching the sick, especially the blind.

To preserve his remains, a crypt was also built under a church, but it was demolished in the 17th century, although it was discovered during work carried out in the 19th century in a school, and now it can also be visited.

La Balade Magique night walk

One way of visit the historic center it is during the Balade Magique night walk, a cultural offer from the tourist office de la ciudad.

During this walk of just over two hours you will tour the Joan of Arc Street to go to the area of ​​the cathedral and the old town hall, the Hotel Groslot, and then head towards the historic center and complete the visit in the area of ​​the Loire river.

Through the night lighting that has been installed in the main monuments and streets of the city in recent years, you can see the most notable corners and understand the long history of orleans.

Floral Park of the Source in Orleans

You can complete your visit to this city in the Loire Valley by getting to know the Source Floral Park, the most visited attraction in the department of Loiret, and the place where the spring where this other river is born whose name means the little Loire.

This great Botanic Park which occupies 35 hectares and is a haven of peace to walk, is located in front of the facilities of the University of Orleans, about 10 kilometers south of the historic center.

It is an area with a great tradition of flowers because the historic floods of the Loire For this reason they facilitated its planting.

From a lake located in the park you can see the building of a chateau, and during your visit you will walk through different gardens where there is a great diversity of flowering plants.

A corner that you should not miss is the enclosure of the tropical garden where you can see numerous tropical butterflies fluttering around you, some of them enormous in size.

Map: how to get to Orleans

In view of your visit, it is very common that Orleans be a stop on the car route for those traveling to Paris from the south of France, or among those making the route through the Loire Valley either by car or bicycle.

But I will tell you that a very good way to go to Orleans is to go on TGV high speed train from the south station Paris Austerlitz, from where it is only an hour away.