Orléans – la ville de Jeanne d’Arc

Last week, I visited Orleans, a city in north-central France in the Loiret department (45) – about 111 kilometers from Paris (1 hour by train).

 

About Orleans…

Positioning itself as one of the most dynamic cities in France, Orleans is a city full of history, nice people and picturesque monuments.

Joan of Arc, “the main of Orleans”, is the most important history character of the city. For the record, she is considered the heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the 100’s war (the third phase of the Anglo-French war: 1415-53).

Captured by Burgundian faction, which was allied with English, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431, dying at 19 years old. In the 16th century she became a symbol of the Catholic League and, in 1803 she was declared a national symbol of France by the decision of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Today she is one of the nine secondary patron saints of France.

 

Loyal to its past, Orleans is focused on developing its economy and culture in order to maintain the quality of life for which it has always been famous.

When you live in a busy city like Paris sometimes it is so good to go a way and enjoy a calm city without people running everywhere. What out my photos… 😀

 

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You know, a couple of weeks ago my ophthalmologist told me I would need to wear glasses. Well, working all day in front of the computer has also negative consequences!!! 🙁

When I finally “accepted” I REALLY needed glasses to work I decided to come to Orleans to buy them. What ?! You might be asking… “Did you really spend 1hour by train to buy your glasses when you live in PARIS?”  Well, YES! 😀

Actually, a friend of mine has a shop in Orleans and I thought it would be great to visit the city and at the same time to buy my glasses with someone who knows me well.

Take a look on the amazing models available. Full of young creators brands, the shop has everything we can dream of : classy; chic; casual models… What do you think about my choice?

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So, what are the biggest attractions of the city?

 

• The Martroi Square and the House of Joan of Arc

Martroi square is the cultural center of the city with markets, banks, shops and where many public events happen. Here we can also find the impressive statue of Joan of Arc in full a battle dress and her Horse. Once you get to the city you cannot miss this square and also the house of Joan fo Arc around the corner.

• The Saint-Croix cathedral

When I first saw the Saint-Croix cathedral I thought: “Is this cathedral a copy of Notre-Dame?” Saint-Croix Cathedral as Notre-Dame is a Gothic Cathedral that you CANNOT MISS IT… Although the cathedral is located in a busy street, the church definitely caught the eye. 😛 Believe me, once you get to this street, you do not look around or enter in the shops, instead you just want to admire the cathedral. Amazing, amazing monument!

• The markets

I am not a fun of food (basically, I eat because I have to) but I love visiting and taking pictures in traditional markets. I was walking around with my friend when we found this amazing market full of homemade products. Have you seen how good everything looks?

• The streets and the Loire river

I have to admit the buildings and the streets are adorable. We walk around and we have the impression to be in a fairy tale… Buildings look like dollhouses and everyone is incredible nice and available to help/ to inform you.

I was not very lucky with the weather but I did not miss the view of the Loire river. Boats and a lot of bars closed to the river make this area of the city very appealing to young people.

 

Where to eat in Orleans?

 

I did not try anything from the region (Le Cotignac d’Orléans or Les macarons aux fruits d’Orléans), instead I ate salty pancakes and dry cider at “La chandeleur”.

Honestly, the restaurant is very cozy, it has a lot of choice and its staff is incredible nice. On the top of that, the price… I paid less than 30€ for Pancakes, cider and coffee for 2 people. 😀

 

How do you get to Orleans?

 

There are SNCF trains every hour from Gare d’Austerlitz (line 5 or 10) in Paris. The ticket is around 20€ but if you book it in advance, you can have it much cheaper.

 

Hope you enjoyed the post about Orleans.

 

Beijinho,

Daniela