Orléans: main attractions

Begin at Place du Martroi, where the bronze equestrian statue of Joan of Arc sets the tone for a day steeped in the city's medieval and Renaissance heritage. From there, step inside the reconstructed Maison de Jeanne d'Arc for a short film on the 1429 siege, then explore the Gallo-Roman bronzes of the Trésor de Neuvy-en-Sullias at the Hôtel Cabu. The 12th-century Collégiale Saint-Pierre-le-Puellier, now a contemporary art space, offers a striking contrast before you reach the soaring Gothic nave of the Cathédrale Sainte-Croix and its Joan of Arc stained-glass cycle. Cross the square to the Musée des Beaux-Arts — home to France's second-largest collection of 18th-century pastels — then visit the Hôtel Groslot, the Renaissance mansion where King François II died in 1560. Wind down with a stroll through Parc Louis Pasteur and its Louvre-loaned sculptures. Most museums are closed on Mondays; a single €8 pass covers all four municipal museums.