The Loiret is the northernmost part of the Royal Loire region, where the river begins its great bend to the west before flowing through Touraine and Anjou. Orléans, the department’s capital, was the scene in the 15th century of one of the most famous episodes in French history: the lifting of the siege by Joan of Arc in 1429, which turned the tide of the Hundred Years’ War and enabled the coronation of Charles VII in Reims.
This history of royalty and warfare has left a lasting mark on the castle-studded landscape of the Loiret. Sully-sur-Loire, whose medieval castle flanked by round towers is reflected in the river’s waters, was the residence of Minister Sully, Grand Secretary of State to Henry IV. Chamerolles, with its reconstructed Renaissance gardens and Perfume Museum, offers an unexpected insight into the arts and sciences of the 16th century. La Source, Saint-Brisson, Bellegarde… so many residences that dot the roads of the valley and the forests of Orléans.
The Forest of Orléans, France’s largest state-owned forest, envelops many of these châteaux in its mantle of oaks and hornbeams, creating exceptional settings for walks for visitors wishing to combine heritage and nature.