Orleans Travel Guide, France
Situated on the Loire River, the city of Orleans will be proudly considered by any Orleans travel guide as a gate to the overwhelming display of castles (‘chateaux’, in French) that are rising all across the Loire Valley. Orleans is the administrative center of the Loiret Department and of the Central Region, and it is only 130 km far from Paris.
Orleans Overview – Geography and Climate
Due to the Atlantic influences, Orleansț climate is somewhere between continental and oceanic. There’s an annual average temperature of 11ºC and moderate precipitations during the year. Summers are hot and sunny, but heavy storms are likely to occur. The Loire River is no longer navigable in the Orleans sector. The relief is rather hilly on the right bank of the river, mounting to 125 m altitude and low on the left bank, where the Loire and Loiret valleys form a depression.
Orleans Overview – Getting to and Around Orleans
Orleans is served by the Aerodrome des quatre vents, situated at 20 km east of Orleans, in Saint Denis de L’Hotel. The airport’s light planes are only used for internal flights. There is a good railway connection, with 40 daily trains that link Orleans’s two railway stations with Paris. Car access to Orleans is facilitated by the A10, A19 (still under construction) and A71 motorways. There are several commercial bus lines that serve the Central Region. City transport, represented by buses and trams, is managed by SEMTAO.
Orleans Overview – Economy
The area around Orleans has been known for its builders that gave us the splendid castles we admire today. With 130000 inhabitants and a continuous demographic increase, Orleans has a flourishing economy, focused on 5 sectors: electronics and software, pharmacy, cosmetics, transport and logistics and environmental institutions. There are about 7000 companies that have offices in Orleans and 2 large commercial centers in downtown Orleans, hosting more than 100 stores.
Orleans Overview – Facts and Figures
The city of New Orleans, US, gained its name from Orleans, France (it was originally named “La Nouvelle Orleans” in honor of the Duke of Orleans). Orleans played a major role in the life of Joan of Arc: after the Siege of Orleans in 1429, Joan assumed leadership. Joan of Arc Memorial House in Orleans hosts a museum dedicated to the heroine’s life (she was later executed in Rouen). The city was heavily bombed by the Allies during the WWII, but went, according to most Orleans travel guides, through a quick reconstruction in the late ‘40s. There are 300 chateaux in the Loire Valley, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
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Joan of Arc Day
travel tip by erato posted more then 30 days ago
As you may know, Orleans was the hometown of Joan of Arc, the heroine of France. She changed the outcome of the Hundred Years War in the favour of the French. Now the whole city of Orleans is comemorating her. She is honored with...
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