Blois, Renaissance city in Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Blois is a city on the right bank of the Loire in the Loir-et-Cher department between Orléans and Tours. The castle sits on a hillside above the river with views over rooftops and bridges, while the old town spreads in narrow lanes around Place Louis XII.
During the 15th and 16th centuries the city became a royal residence where several French kings lived and ruled. The assassination of the Duke of Guise in 1588 on the orders of King Henry III took place inside the castle during the Wars of Religion.
The House of Magic honors Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who was born in this city and is considered the founder of modern stage magic. Visitors can watch live performances in the theater inside, while mechanical dragons appear from the windows every 30 minutes.
The city is easy to walk through, though the climb to the castle is steep and requires some stamina. The train station is about a 20-minute walk from the center and has regular connections to Paris and other Loire Valley cities.
The inventor Denis Papin was born here in 1647 and developed the first steam pressure cooker used in Europe. A sculpture of him stands in the square in front of the staircase that bears his name and connects the upper and lower parts of town.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
