Tour Beauvoir, Fortified tower in Blois, France

Tour Beauvoir is a Romanesque stone tower in the center of Blois. With a nearly square footprint, it rises through a ground floor, two upper levels, and a former attic, and each floor holds just one room.

Built in the 11th century for the lords of Beauvoir, the tower joined the county's defenses in 1256. It later held the count's court and prison for over a century, and after the Revolution it was linked to the nearby Cordeliers convent, remaining a prison until 1945.

Today the old prison cells and narrow windows are part of a guesthouse where a few visitors can spend the night. That makes the tower feel less like a museum and more like a place that still holds daily life.

You can reach the top through a staircase that was added in the 1970s, since the original floors had no internal connection. Once up there, the balcony gives you a look over Blois toward the Loire River and the surrounding hills.

Most people do not expect to be able to sleep inside an 11th-century defensive structure, but this tower has been fitted out as a small guesthouse. The rooms keep their medieval proportions while offering modern comforts, and the rooftop terrace is kept for watching sunsets over the town.