Less than 24 hours after coming back from a week’s holiday in Croatia, I was off to Orléans in France, an area of France I’d never been to.  But if I wanted to accept the invitation to join this press trip, that was the schedule. The organisers jammed a lot into our 3 days but it left me wanting to go back and explore more!

Orléans is a city on the banks of the Loire River in north-central France and it is the capital of the Centre-Val de Loire region. Because of the river and its bridges, Orléans has always been both an important trading and strategic centre.

Before the Roman conquest by Julius Caesar in 52 BC it was called Cenabum and was an important Gaul stronghold for the Carnutes.  In the late 3rd century AD, Roman Emperor Aurelian rebuilt the city and renamed it civitas Aurelianorum (“city of Aurelian”) after himself and that is where Orleans gets its name.   Today you can see the remains of the Gallo-Roman ramparts on the north side of the Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans.

Novotel Orléans Centre Gare

I arrived in Orléans an hour and a half later than scheduled because of a points failure (which is rare in my experience with French railway travel).  I went to hail a taxi and the honest taxi driver showed me on his phone that the Novotel was basically just across the road. Arriving at the hotel just after 9pm, the hotel front desk were most helpful in letting the restaurant know I still hoped to eat, so I could still take a quick shower and enjoy a light dinner in their restaurant.

My room, though small, had lots of amenities including a very comfortable bed and indeed a private balcony, giving me a place to enjoy the city vista with my coffee. The staff were all very pleasant and professional during my stay, and I would definitely recommend the Novotel Orléans Centre Gare for their hospitality and their central location.

Walking Tour Around The Centre
The next morning after a good breakfast, we food writers gathered to meet our hosts from the tourist board who took us a walking tour of the centre. Prominently situated in the square is of course a statue of Joan of Arc, who broke the siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) which marked a turning point of the Hundred Years’ War between France and England.

Every year at the end of April and the beginning of May the town holds a Joan of Arc Festival, it is one of the oldest traditional celebrations of the city and dates back over 600 years.

Visitors to the festival can experience the atmosphere of a medieval market complete with jugglers, musicians and dancers. Many townspeople dress in medieval clothing and play musical instruments that were once popular in that time period.

Cafés Jeanne d’Arc

Cafés Jeanne d’Arc has been a family business since 1899 and for 5 generations, passed down from father to son. These days they have 3 stores and a coffee roasting workshop.  The store itself is a fascinating collection of hand selected teas and coffees which they roast and blend themselves. If you are a real coffee aficionado you might wish to visit their workshop which you can book online and join them for a journey to excite your senses!

Chocolaterie Victorine

Our second stop was at a local chocolaterie named Victorine. There are perhaps as many as 10 chocolate shops in the city of Orleans, so I guess a chocoholic would insist we tried then all, but unfortunately neither our schedule or waistline would allowed this. I did however enjoy the Macarons we sampled.  Not to be confused with macarons, these little cakes are also made from ground almonds, egg whites and sugar but were introduced to France in the 16th century by Italian noble woman  Catherine de’ Medici, who went on to become Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II.

Maison Martin-Pouret

The production of vinegar, the city of Orléans and the Loire have been closely linked since the Renaissance. As a chef, I was quite keen to visit Martin-Pouret which dates back to 1797 and sample their vinegars and mustards. One of the partners of the business was at hand to explain their vinegars are made with all the same care given to a fine French wine and it is why Martin-Pouret products are seen all over the world, including the kitchens of the Michelin-starred chefs. Besides fine vinegars, the company makes mustards, pickles and even ketchup, watch out Heinz!

Vélo Val de Loire

The organisers had planned a cycle ride for us along canal which runs along side the Loire.  Although it has been years since I’ve been on a bike, the weather was glorious and I’m pretty fit because I go to the gym three days a week so I embraced the challenge!  The cycle shop is located on  10 Quai Cypierre, virtually next to the river so it is easy to find, but if you want to book a cycle before you arrive in Orléans then you can here . The cost for half a day rental is very reasonable.  Here are a few phone photos from the ride, just click on them to enlarge.

Pino Gelato

Towards the end of the second evening we chanced upon a wonderful ice cream store called Pino Gelato, and even at 10.10pm it still had a queue (line) to get served but the staff were both friendly and efficient so it didn’t take long to get served.  The tough part was trying to choose which flavour to try, so I tried two! The shop was set up in 2020 by master ice cream maker and pastry chef Fayçal Kaabeche and highly recommended by me.

Loiret Mills in Olivet Village

If you like walking and exploring the countryside as well as the historic city then you really should visit the water mills in Olivet village, which is south of Orleans about 3 miles away and you can get there by bus, tram, car or bike.

From the 9th century, the monks of the Micy Abbey drained and canalized the Loiret river, and built dikes or artificial embankments to allow the water to run down to their mills. Throughout the Middle Ages, other religious communities set up their mills,  reshaping the course of the river. All these elements form a remarkable landscape which reminds us of the long prosperity of the Loiret River and its different types of mill: flour mills, bark mills, fulling mills, chamois leather mills and paper mills. The wheels of these machines have been turning until the early 20th century.

Saint Samson is the most important mill on the Loiret river. It had already been built in the Middle Ages. Equipped with two wheels, it was used to full cloth and mill the grain. It was sold in 1925 to the d’Illiers family who decided to add an engine room and used the wheels to supply electricity to the Chataeu de la Fontaine and the Saint-Julien mill, both located on the other side of the river. The mill has been a source of inspiration for many painters and poets.

The town of Olivet became a village in the eleventh century under the name of Saint-Martin-du-Loiret, before it developed in the seventeenth century. During the centuries following, the town gradually transformed into a high place of vacation, the mills becoming dwellings or guinguettes (open air taverns that operate in the summertime).

The peaceful river Loiret is surrounded by trees and is home to numerous swans and birds such as greater spotted woodpeckers and one or two large egrets.

Mercure Orléans Portes de Sologne Hotel 

On the final day of our press trip we took a look at a very nice hotel just 7 ½ miles outside Orléans; Mercure Orléans Portes de Sologne  has been recently renovated and is a four star hotel that sits next to a golf course and also a health spar. Although these 3 business are separate, you can visit the Les Balnéades wellness center or play golf at the Limère international golf coarse, but expect to pay to use the spar and the golf course.

The hotel’s brassiere style restaurant Deux Sens, is wonderfully situated and looks out onto the golf course. The weather was so glorious we sat at a table on the patio.

Since I was unable to visit all of the chocolate shops in Orléans I could not pass up the dessert named Entremet aux 3 chocolats!

Château de la Ferté Saint-Aubin

Located just a short 30 minute drive from Orléans is the Château de la Ferté Saint-Aubin, an amazing French castle that also has an amazing story. A castle has stood on the site since the 11th century but the building you see today dates from 1625 and was built by Henri I de la Ferté Senneterre. His plans for the great château were never completed due to a lack funds, so his son Henri II (who became Marshal of France ) continued and added two great stable buildings.

In 1987, Jacques Guyot bought the Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin fulfilling his childhood dreams. Indeed, the Château is flanked by the Route Nationale 20, a family holiday route for Jacques, who as a child, admired this castle from the road every summer!

In 1944, a fire destroyed the entire right wing of the castle; all the lead and slate roofs had to be redone but Jacques Guyot was not daunted, he stepped in and opened the Château to the public for the first time in its entire history in May 1988.

For over 30 years the castle has been slowly restored to bring the castle back to life. In the attics of the Orangerie a photo exhibition was launched in 2021; it is dedicated to the pharaonic works carried out by the Guyot family in restoring this French treasure. Here is just a small sample of the photos I  took.

The Guyot family are forward thinking in wanting to attract a broad audience of visitors to the castle so the attractions include 2 Escape rooms where your team has 60 minutes to find clues and solve the puzzles and escape in time. From the scenario to the room and its furnishings, everything is real and authentic in this game for an immersive experience. Or perhaps sign up for the Aventure Course where children and adults have to follow the clues on this treasure hunt, whilst keeping an eye out for “La Voisin” a famous witch who is hiding in this 40-hectare historical park. The children and adults have to decipher clues to piece together the recipe for the very much needed antidote to the witch’s poison!

If you plan to be in the area in February you could sign up for the murder mysteries held at the castle each year. During my 2 hour visit I had no time to experience these fun activities but the castle itself is quite something to see and explore.

Useful Local Tourism Office
If you are a new visitor to Orléans and weren’t able to sort out a list of places to see before you arrive, then I would recommend you pop into the local tourism office where they will be more than happy to help.  Their website is also a great place to begin to plan your vacation. From history to boat trips, bicycle rides to nature walks, music concerts and a grand piano festival, Orleans has a lot reasons to make the trip!