ORLÉANS
Department: Loiret (45)
Region: Centre

The inspiring city of Orléans, forever associated with the story of Jeanne d'Arc, developed in a bend of the Loire, and belongs to the vallée de la Loire sector between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire, which was in 2000 inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 

The capital of Orléanais, and for a time the capital of France, lies 130km (80 miles) south-west of Paris, bordered to the north by the Beauce region and the forêt d'Orléans, and the Sologne region to the south.

© ATOUT FRANCE/CRT Centre - Val de Loire/P. Duriez

The First World War stole the town's children and the Second struck at its very heart causing widespread destruction. During the years following liberation by General Patton's troops, Orléans undertook a huge reconstruction campaign.In the 1960s, the town was marked by population growth and industrial decentralisation, and by the creation of the La Source neighbourhood, where the University Campus and the Floral Park were set up.

Today, loyal to its past, Orléans is focusing on developing the economy, culture and teaching in order to maintain the quality of life for which it has always been famous. In 2009, Orléans was awarded the distinction Villes et Pays d'art et d'histoire.

Surrounding the city, Orléans Forest covers about 50,000 hectares, two-thirds of which are owned by the state making it the largest state-owned forest in mainland France. It comprises three massifs: Lorris, Ingrannes and Orléans, and stretches north of the Loire over 60km between the surroundings of Orléans and the borders of Beauce and Gâtinais.

DON'T MISS

The Musée des Beaux Arts

The Maison de Jeanne d'Arc

The Parc floral de la Source

© ATOUT FRANCE/Catherine Bibollet