Tourist information:
Located one hour from Paris, Orleans is a dynamic city that combines culture, economy and history. The city, built on the banks of the Loire, has an architectural, historical and cultural heritage which is very interesting: Church of St. Peter the Puellier, Holy Cross Cathedral, Sancier Houses, and Saint-Aignan crypt deserve to be discovered.
Early on, the interest of the proximity of the Loire has pushed men to settle on the banks of the latter. History of Orleans began in antiquity. The city was a trading merchant. It grew very quickly, and it was enriched by trade with the West Indies. Universities were built in the Middle Ages and the city is made a royal city.
The most significant event in the history of Orleans is its liberation by Joan of Arc. In 1429, the Maid of Orleans released the city from the British and the blockade which had led for over seven months.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Orleans was a city rich. It was then that monuments, such as churches and mansions for wealthy merchants, were built. Unfortunately, the religious wars and the arrival of the railroad in the nineteenth century, hindered the development of Orleans. Later, the Second World War destroyed a part of the city which was rebuilt after the war.
Orleans has a remarkable religious heritage. The Holy Cross Cathedral, the Saint-Aignan church and crypt, the Puellier St-Pierre collegiate which hosts cultural exhibits or Notre-Dame de Recouvrance dating from the XVI century.
Many houses and mansions dot the city. Around the streets are the home of Joan of Arc, the Sancier et de la Pomme houses, the Groslot hotel which houses the City Hall and the Euverte Hatte Hotel which hosts the Charles Peguy Center.
Orleans is a city in which to walk. It has many lovely parks and gardens such as the Parc Floral de la Source, the botanical garden and Groslot hotel garden...
