The Orléans Museum of Fine Arts, in the Loire Valley, is one of the oldest provincial museums, as it opened during the Revolution. It is also one of the best-stocked, with magnificent collections of paintings from the 15th to the 20th century, about 2,000 works in total, nearly 700 sculptures, 10,000 drawings ... and a notable pastel room, the second biggest in France after the Louvre.

Located near the tourist office and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Sainte-Croix), the museum is famed for its collections of French paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, including works by Philippe de Champaigne, the Le Nain brothers, Georges de La Tour, Greuze, Boucher, Houdon, Pigalle, etc. It also possesses a very fine collection of foreign paintings including works by Corrège, Carrache, Tintoret, Brueghel, van Dyck, Ruysdael, etc., as well as a Spanish masterpiece, Saint Thomas by Velazquez.

In terms of modern and contemporary art, you can admire works by Marie Laurencin, Picasso, Vlaminck, Soutine, Hantaï, Zao Wou-Ki, Gaudier-Brzeska, Max Jacob, Gérard Fromanger and more.

Capital of the Centre region, Orléans boasts an important heritage in the form of historic civil and religious buildings. From the top of its towers and its spire, the Sainte-Croix Gothic cathedral looks over the roofs of the city. Built from the 13th to the 19th centuries, it contains magnificent wooden panelling, as well as stained glass windows illustrating the epic of Joan of Arc.

Near the cathedral, Groslot mansion is a magnificent 16th-century Renaissance building that today houses the town hall. Inside, the Hall of Honour, Wedding Hall and former Town Council Hall are designed in Gothic troubadour style.

Also not to be missed, the Fine art museum exhibits remarkable collections of paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and objets d'art dating from the 15th to the 20th century.

La Maison de Jeanne d'Arc, the former residence of the treasurer of the Duke of Orléans, where Joan of Arc stayed in 1429, was rebuilt after the Second World War and now houses a museum dedicated to Joan of Arc and the lifting of the siege of Orléans.

Other places to visit include the very lively Place du Martroi square, where there is an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, Rue Royale street and its arcades, the narrow streets of the old town and the banks of the Loire River.

Those who love green spaces should head to the town's various parks and gardens like the Parc Floral de la Source, the botanical garden and the Parc Pasteur.

The town of Orléans has celebrated its liberator every year since 1430 at the Fêtes de Jeanne d'Arc which take place on 7 and 8 May.

Every other year (odd years), a festival dedicated to the Loire River and to the river marina brings together a magnificent gathering of over 100 boats!

Situated south of Orléans, the Parc Floral de la Source is a magnificent 35-hectare landscaped garden divided into wonderful themed areas: a dahlia garden, an extraordinary vegetable garden, an iris garden, a rose garden opposite the château and a garden where the Loiret River has its source. There's also a large aviary and an exotic butterfly house.

A rose show is held there every year in September.

Built in the 16th century by Lancelot I du Lac, the magnificent Château de Chamerolles, situated in Chilleurs-aux-Bois, also features a scents and perfumes museum introducing visitors to the history and evolution of perfume.

Its charming Renaissance gardens are a haven of peace and lovely to wander round.

Situated on the edge of the Loire River, the town of Châteauneuf-sur-Loire possesses a vast and pleasant tree-lined park featuring the remains of a castle, a giant rhododendron area and some remarkable trees. Not to be missed are the flowering rhododendrons at the beginning of June.

Also worth a visit: the Musée de la Marine de Loire navy museum, housed in the former stables of the château.

The Estate of Ciran in Ménestreau-en-Villette is a 300-hectare park that is home to local Sologne wildlife and features a bird marshland, a deer park, a farm and an aviary. Dedicated footpaths and hides let visitors observe the animals without disturbing them.

Monday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM

The town of Cléry-Saint-André has a magnificent religious building: the Notre-Dame basilica of Flamboyant Gothic style. Inside, the tomb of king Louis XI and his wife can be found.

Monday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Tuesday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Wednesday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Thursday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Friday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Saturday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Sunday: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM

The village of Germigny-des-Prés possesses one of the oldest churches in France: the Carolingian oratory. This building is also unusual in that it boasts a magnificent 9th-century Byzantine mosaic representing the Ark of the Covenant.

Monday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Situated in the heart of Sologne, the Château de La Ferté-Saint-Aubin is open to the public and comprises 15 furnished rooms, large kitchens where you can taste honey madeleines, and stables containing dressage horses.

A great place to wander round, the vast 40-hectare park features the reconstruction of a 1930s train station, an enchanted island for the children and a wildlife park.

The town of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire is renowned for its Benedictine abbey: the Fleury abbey, founded in the 7th century. Its basilica constitutes a remarkable example of Romanesque art. The bell tower-porch contains magnificent carved capitals that will delight fans of religious architecture. The church's Romanesque choir is also stunning. The crypt dating from the 11th century contains the relics of Saint-Benoît.

Monday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Tuesday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Wednesday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Thursday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Friday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Saturday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Sunday: 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM, 12:15 AM – 01:00 PM, 03:30 PM – 05:30 PM

With a 35,000-hectare surface area, Orléans forest constitutes the biggest national forest in France! Offering numerous hiking trails, this area is divided into three mountain areas: the Massif d'Orléans, Massif d'Ingrannes and Massif de Lorris. Nestling in a peaceful and green environment, the Vallée lake, near Combreux, is perfect for fishing, swimming and windsurfing.

The town of Meung-sur-Loire's rich past is revealed through its château (the former residence of the bishops of Orléans), the medieval gateway of Amont, remains of ramparts, old houses and the 11th- and 13th-century Saint-Liphard collegiate church.

There is also pleasant walking along the Mauves, small rivers that cross the town.

Nestling along the Loire River, the medieval town of Beaugency possesses a rich architectural heritage, including the Château de Dunois dating from the 15th century, the town hall with a Renaissance facade, the former Notre-Dame abbey with its Romanesque abbey church, an 11th-century keep, a clock tower, an old bridge over the Loire River and beautiful old houses.

Make a point of visiting the Hall of Honour (Salle d'Honneur) in the town hall, which contains eight magnificent embroidered wall hangings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the Daniel Vannier museum in the Château de Dunois, dedicated to the arts and popular traditions of the Orléanais area.

Perched on a rocky mountain spur dominating the Rimarde valley, Yèvre-le-Châtel is a charming village to wander round that's full of flowers and is designated one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Interesting sights include a medieval fortress with towers, ramparts, châtelet (small castle) and rampart walk (chemin de ronde), as well as two churches and narrow, flower-bedecked streets lined with beautiful houses.

A genuine medieval fortress, complete with towers, keep, rampart walk and moats, the Château de Sully-sur-Loire built in the 14th century, is the former residence of the dukes of Sully. The interior has paintings and tapestries on display, as well as a magnificent roof structure dating from the 14th century.

Visitors can also walk around the pleasant tree-lined park surrounding the château.

Every third weekend in May, the château and park host a medieval festival called 'Les Heures Médiévales'.

A wild and peaceful area, the Sologne is covered with game-filled forests and numerous ponds and is therefore popular with hikers, fishermen and hunters. No fewer than 2,800 ponds are scattered over the Sologne countryside! Besides its beautiful landscapes, the Sologne is a wonderful place for walkers, with its beautiful villages, such as that of Chaumont-sur-Tharonne, typical with its brick-built houses. The village of Souvigny-en-Sologne is also worth the trip for its charming church with a timbered porch (caquetoir).

Fine food and patisserie fans should stop off in the little town of Lamotte-Beuvron, the birthplace of the famous upside-down apple tart, Tarte Tatin. Happy tasting!

The town of Romorantin-Lanthenay is also worth a trip for, among others, the Sologne museum.

The Château du Moulin, nicknamed "the pearl of the Sologne", in Lassay-sur-Croisne, the Domaine du Ciran estate in Ménestreau-en-Villette, dedicated to the flora and fauna of the Sologne, and the elegant Château de La Ferté-Saint-Aubin are among the places not to be missed.

Finally, the Maison des Étangs (Pond House) in Saint-Viâtre explains all about pond life in the Sologne, including displays on the history, fauna and flora of the ponds, as well as how they function and are maintained.

In the heart of the forest of Boulogne abounding in game, on the site of a fortress, King François I built an imposing, richly decorated residence as his hunting lodge in the 16th century. A Renaissance masterpiece, the Château de Chambord is the biggest in the Loire Valley, with 440 rooms, 800 carved capitals and 282 fireplaces!

This striking and elegant building consists of a central keep with four round towers and a surrounding wall. Its famous double spiral staircase is a remarkable architectural feat. This ingenious construction allows two people to go up and down the stairs without passing each other!

After visiting the apartments, a walk around the château terrace is mandatory. From there, the view of thousands of attic windows, chimneys, capitals, spires and little steeples of the building makes an amazing picture. The terrace of the keep also offers a beautiful view of the park of Chambord national estate. A hunting reserve, the park is surrounded by a 32-km wall, making it the largest enclosed forested area in Europe. Visitors wishing to go for a walk can do so along the numerous waymarked footpaths. Horse-drawn carriage tours are also available from the Marshal of Saxony stables.