What to see in Blois ?

Blois occupies a singular position in the Loire: a royal city without the museum-like veneer of Chambord, it has retained real daily life around its château and steeply stepped streets. This is where Francis I and Catherine de Medici played out a chapter of French history, and the town carries this memory without turning it into forced spectacle. The Saint-Nicolas quarter, on the left bank, gives a good sense of this dual character.

Spring and early autumn are the best windows, before the summer rush that saturates the approaches to the Château Royal de Blois. Two days are enough for an honest visit, including a bicycle outing to Cheverny from town. The train from Paris-Austerlitz is direct and swift. Don't concentrate all your time on the château: the old town below it, often overlooked, is equally worth exploring.