Welcome to the charming town of Blois!
Let yourself be immersed in this city of art and history, with a rich heritage dating from the 12th to the 20th century. You'll be spoilt for choice, from strolling along the banks of the Loire to discovering the collections of its museums or exploring its Château Royal.
In this article, you'll discover a list of 10 must-see things to do in Blois, illustrated by numerous photos. We've added some useful tips and bonus activities!
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
1. Explore the Château Royal de Blois
Why visit?
Set on a promontory overlooking the Loire River, Château de Blois forms the heart of the city. We loved its collection of sculpted facades, witness to 4 different eras, and its sumptuous Renaissance decor. And don't forget its varied art collection, as the château also houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts!
The highlight of the show? The breathtaking view over the Loire and the city from the heights of the château. Find out more about the Château in our dedicated article.
Practical advice
- Access: downtown.
- Length of visit: 1h30 to tour the royal dwelling, 1h to visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts collection and 30min to see the château from the outside, the chapel and gardens.
- Difficulties: some stairs in the royal dwelling. The site is partially accessible to wheelchair users, and wheelchair loans are available.
- Prices: €14 (full price), €7 (6-17 years), free (under 6 and PRM).
- Opening hours : every day of the year from 10am to at least 5pm (more info here).
- Parking: The château parking lot is 200m away (416 spaces), on avenue Jean Laigret, and costs €3 for 3 hours.
- Eating out: No facilities inside, but a wide choice of restaurants at the foot of the castle and in the town.
- Fancy a private tour of the Château's secrets? Take a look here!
2. Admire the panorama from the banks of the Loire
Why visit?
Nothing better than a a bucolic break after a day of cultural visits! All you have to do is head for the quays of Blois to begin a visit that's as picturesque as it is peaceful. You'll have the best view of the Cathedral at the end of the Quais Amédée Constant!
The viewpoint called L'amphithéâtre overlooking the Loire was admired by some famous tourists, such as the writer and poet Victor Hugo, who wrote about it in his book Actes et paroles depuis l'exil, in 1876: "I opened my eyes and saw a thousand windows at once, an irregular and confused pile of houses, bell towers, a château, and on the hill a crown of tall trees and a row of sharp stone-gabled facades at the water's edge...".
Practical advice
- Access: Only a 10-minute walk from downtown
- Length of visit: The Loire is France's longest river, so it all depends on the tour you decide to take!
- Opening hours: Open 24 hours a day
- Price: Free
- Difficulties: None apart from the distance you choose. You can opt for the Promenade Mundès France, below the Mail Pierre-Sudreau, or if you cross the Pont Jacques Gabriel, the long Promenade des Bords de Loire.
- Dining: There's nothing like a picnic overlooking the quays of the Loire! Don't forget to take your victuals downtown, because if there's no on-site catering, you'll find deckchairs and picnic tables in the shade! When the weather's fine, head for the Port de la Creusille, where you can enjoy a guinguette and many other events (more info here).
WHERE TO STAY IN Blois
Downtown
Enjoy the city, its restaurants and beautiful architecture.
- Fleur de Loire Hotel - prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Château des Basses Roches - prices, pictures and availability
In the southern countryside: Chambord, Chevery
Surrounded by castles and charming villages, less than 30 minutes from Blois
- Hotel Relais de Chambord - prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Les Sources de Cheverny - prices, pictures and availability
In the northern countryside
For a little peace and quiet, but close to the city. Fewer castles.
- Hotel Le Grand Cèdre - prices, pictures and availability
3. Stroll through the narrow streets of the old town
Why visit?
We couldn't recommend Blois without mentioning its lively historic center, shaped by its past as a 16th-century royal town. With its cobbled streets, timber-framed houses and charming little squares, the old town offers a picturesque, unspoilt atmosphere. You can follow the route marked by bronze porcupines on the ground. Emblematic of Blois-born King Louis XII, they'll help you find your way around the old town's landmarks. Find out more here.
Practical advice
- Access: 24 hours a day. A bus takes you into the city center. For more information, visit the official town hall website here.
- Tour duration: 35min
- Difficulties: You'll be wandering through steep, cobbled streets of varying gradient (the famous Blois staircases!) So bring good shoes for a comfortable ascent and descent.
- Eating and drinking: There are plenty of restaurants, bars and cafés in the city center.
- In the mood for an offbeat visit? Why not opt for a horse-drawn carriage tour of the city center? Find out more here.
4. Explore the most beautiful Châteaux of the Loire Valley
Why visit?
Nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley, Blois is just a 20-minute drive from numerous châteaux. Discover our selection of the best châteaux around Blois (photos + tips)! There's something for everyone, from the dazzling gardens of Chaumont-sur-Loire to the majesty of Chambord and the refinement of Cheverny.
If you don't like crowds, we can recommend more confidential châteaux, such as Château de Valmer and its incredible reconstructed gardens.
Practical advice
- Access: Although some castles are accessible by bike or public transport, we recommend that you drive to the various sites (all of which have parking), especially if you want to do a combined tour.
- Length of visit: Between 1h and 3h depending on the extent of the estates
- Difficulties: The length of the walk on site and the stairs to access the floors of most castles.
- Times and prices: Times vary according to location, and prices range from €7 to €20, depending on the discounted rate.
- Looking for a unique tour combining culture and nature? Discover bike tours from Blois with wine tasting at Chambord or Chaumont-sur-Loire.
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN Loire
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars - one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a fairly compact car (many villages have narrowed the road).
- Think aboutfull insurance (parking in big cities is really tight).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
5. Marvel at the Museum of Magic
Why visit?
If you want to delight your children, go to the House of Magic!
This atypical museum offers an immersive tour of the world of illusion, with over 700 objects and works of magic, as well as a number of activities to make the visit even more fun. Every day, several magic shows are presented in the Grand Théâtre to surprise and amaze young and old alike!
And don't miss the appearance of the dragons (giant articulated automatons), in the windows of the Maison, every half-hour during opening hours.
Practical advice
- Access: Place du Château, downtown.
- Length of visit: allow 1h30 to tour the museum and attend at least one of the shows!
- Difficulties: None. The site is on one level and accessible to wheelchair users.
- Prices: €13 (full price), €7 (6-17yrs), free (under 6yrs)
- Opening hours : daily, 10am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6:30pm (see official website here)
- Parking: The château parking lot on avenue Jean Laigret is 200m from the museum.
- Catering: An ephemeral tearoom is open between July and August from 2pm to 6pm, and the museum is close to several downtown restaurants.
A LITTLE MORE patience
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6. Discover the Fondation du Doute and other museums
Why visit?
The Fondation du Doute is the place to go to discover contemporary art and the Fluxus movement, an international art movement born in the 1960s, which advocated the abolition of elitist boundaries between art and life, and between different disciplines. In this amazing museum, you'll find over 300 works by 50 different artists, including George Brecht, Nam June Paik, Jospeh Beuys and Ben Vautier, the man behind the museum!
Find out more:
- La bd Boum-Maison de la BD, dedicated to comics,
- The Natural History Museum in the former Jacobins convent,
- The Centre de la Résistance, de la déportation et de la mémoire (Centre for Resistance, Deportation and Remembrance ) houses a collection of archives and period objects, some of which have been donated by former deportees and members of the Resistance.
- And don't forget the Musée des Beaux-Arts, housed in the Château Royal de Blois!
Practical advice
- Access: All Blois museums are located in the city center.
- Length of visit: The extent of the collections varies from site to site, but we recommend you allow at least an hour for each. Note that the Fondation du Doute offers temporary exhibitions and an inspiring bookshop that can extend your visit!
- Difficulties: None. All sites are accessible to wheelchair users.
- Prices: Full price between €5 and €7, except for the Musée de la Bd, which is free. Find out more on the tourist office website here.
- Opening times: Opening times vary from museum to museum. Find out more on their respective websites: Fondation du Doute here, MNHN here, Maison de la bd here
- Parking: Several parking lots are close to the various sites, and all museums are within walking distance.
- Catering: Only the Fondation du Doute offers catering at Café Le Fluxus, during the same opening hours as its center. Otherwise, since the museums are downtown, they're all within easy reach of our favorite restaurants! Find out more in our dedicated article.
7. Visit Saint-Louis Cathedral
Why visit?
Overlooking the Loire with its elegant allure, Blois Cathedral is one of the city's must-sees. Its architecture is just as delightful as its interiors, with the nave flooded with light from 33 contemporary stained glass windows. Discover all its secrets in our dedicated article.
And, just behind the Cathedral, don't miss the Évêché terrace, with its avenue of chestnut trees and rose garden, and its breathtaking view over the city of Blois.
Practical advice
- Access: downtown
- Length of visit: Between 10min and 30min, allow 1h if you then take the time to relax on the Evêché terrace (more info here).
- Difficulties: We didn't notice any special facilities for people with reduced mobility, but the site is accessible to baby carriages and wheelchairs (with the exception of the crypt). The Eveché terrace offers access ramps for part of the site.
- Price: Free
- Opening hours: La Cathédrale is open every day from 9am to 7pm. Please note that the crypt only opens on Sundays after the 10:30 a.m. mass.
- Nearby restaurants: If you just fancy a sweet break before resuming your visits, you can grab tasty pastries or generous sandwiches at Boulangerie L'atelier Sims, a 9min walk away.
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8. Explore the beautiful surrounding villages
Why visit?
If you're in the mood for a bucolic getaway, you're well advised to choose the town of Blois as your base, as it's on the doorstep of a number of delightful villages:
- Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire (15min drive): a special village that seems to bring serenity to visitors. You won't want to leave these narrow streets that mix stone and greenery all around the ramparts. Take the time to get lost and discover houses from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.
- Montrichard (20min drive): you're sure to fall under the spell of this small medieval town dating back to the 11th century. The views from the banks of the River Cher are magnificent, and the tour of the center takes you past a keep, timber-framed houses and other nuggets!
Need more inspiration? Read our article on the most beautiful villages around Blois.
Practical advice
- Access: Although some villages are accessible by bike or public transport, we recommend that you drive to the various villages (all of which have parking), especially if you want to do a combined tour.
- Length of visit: Between 1h and 3h, depending on the size of the villages.
- Difficulties: The length of the walk on site and the stairs to access the floors of most castles.
- Opening hours: Generally speaking, villages are livelier on Saturdays than during the week. Some villages are not very lively at lunchtime, so plan to come in the afternoon.
- Prices: Access to the various villages is free, but parking lots may be subject to a charge.
9. Discover local gastronomy
Why taste?
Blois is the perfect town for epicureans! The town is sure to surprise you with its fine restaurants. From small, authentic addresses to Michelin-starred restaurants and cosy bistros, the city has a wide range of delights in store for us. The royal city offers an ideal playground for talented chefs who creatively revisit local specialties.
Practical advice
For the best addresses, read our dedicated article!
Want to taste Loire wines? Discover this excursion departing from Blois!
10. Climbing the Denis Papin staircase
Why visit?
Don't miss out on the Denis Papin staircase, which is given a new look by an artist every year. When we went there, we were surprised to discover a typographic décor in volume inspired by the world of George Maciunas, a major artist of the Fluxus movement.
Once you've climbed to the top, enjoy the view that stretches far beyond the south bank of the Loire. Also worth a look is Aimé Millet's statue of Denis Papin, the famous 17th-century physicist and inventor.
Practical advice
- Access: Downtown
- Duration of visit: 10 to 20 minutes, enough time to admire the staircases from afar and climb them at your own pace.
- Difficulty: You'll have to climb 120 steps to reach the top of the staircase!
- Opening hours: Open 24 hours a day, and the staircase is illuminated at night!
- Price: Free.
- Find out more about the staircase cladding in progress on the city's website here.
DISCOVER Blois
- Things to do in Blois - coming soon
- Where to sleep in Blois: best hotels
- Where to eat in Blois: best restaurants - coming soon
- Visit the Château de Blois - coming soon
- Visit Blois Cathedral - coming soon
- The best castles around Blois
Things to do in Blois: other ideas
Hunting for private mansions
History buffs will be delighted by the town of Blois, home to a number of private mansions:
- Hotel Belot
- Hotel de Vareilles
- Hotel de la Chancellerie
- Villebresme hotel
- Hotel Sardini
- Hotel de Saumery
- Hôtel d'Alluye
- Hotel Phelypeaux
Don't miss the 15th-century Maison des Acrobates, the Tour Beauvoir, originally a keep surrounded by a moat, which became the property of the Counts of Blois in 1256, and the Pavillon Anne de Bretagne, the last remaining example of the royal gardens at Château de Blois.
The Blois-Chambord tourist office organizes regular guided tours of this rich heritage, which you can find here.
Discover the churches
Blois also boasts a rich religious heritage, with many beautiful places of worship:
- Saint-Vincent-de-Paul church, worth a visit for its rich stucco decorations and Baroque choir.
- The church of Saint-Nicolas, the oldest church in Blois, with its large roofs, buttresses and slate-covered spires rising proudly above the town!
- The modern Basilica Notre-Dame de La Trinité, listed as a historic monument, stands out from afar with its 60m-high bell tower.
- The Saint-Saturnin church, with its gallery cemetery, laundry-drying room and lapidary museum (site here).
Things to do in Blois with children
All the sites in Blois can be visited with your children, with a preference for..:
- The interactive Maison de la Magie, featuring a magical attic where children can learn tricks in a setting of trunks and mirrors!
- La bd Boum-Maison de la BD also offers a range of workshops (manga, travel writing, character sketching).
Find out more on their website here.
Also note that the Château de Blois organizes masterful sound and light shows every year (more information here).
Book now!
And if your kids really can't stand still, why not take them to the Parc des Mées? Just a 10-minute drive from Blois, this leisure area offers walking trails, children's play areas (bouncy castles, slides, mini golf) and picnic areas. Something to keep the whole family busy!
Things to do in Blois when it rains
Blois will keep you entertained even in the rain with its many museums!
The Château Royal should also keep you busy for half a day, with its rich interiors and fascinating art collections in the Musée des Beaux-Arts !
The Bibliothèque Abbé-Grégoire is also a good alternative on rainy days for a quiet moment of reading (more info here).
Last but not least, take a look at the program at Maison de Bégon, which offers a wide range of events (shows, concerts, readings) on the theme of world cultures. Find out more here.
Excursions around Blois
From the town of Blois, you can:
- Explore the Châteaux of the Loire: read our article on the most beautiful buildings in the area,
- Take a break in nature: in the most beautiful villages around Blois,
- Take to the skies in a hot-air balloon: book your flight for sunset!
- Take a trip on a toue cabanée, the traditional Loire boat: find all the information you need on the tourist office website here.
Useful tips for visiting Blois
Where is Blois?
The town of Blois is located in the Indre-et-Loire department of France's Centre-Val de Loire region.
- Driving time from Tours: 45min
- Driving time from Nantes: 3h
- Driving time from Paris: 2h
Here's a map of the best attractions in Blois:
How to get to Blois
To get to Blois, you can choose from the following options:
- By car: take the A10 freeway (between Paris and Bordeaux) or the A85 freeway (Lyon-Nantes), which has an exit thirty minutes from Blois.
- Cycling: the town is on the La Loire à Vélo cycle route. Read all our tips in our dedicated article!
- By train: Blois-Chambord station links Blois to Paris-Austerliz in 1h24. It takes 2h20 from Nantes and 40min from Tours. Two other TGV stations (Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and Vendôme) are just 30 minutes from Blois.
From Blois-Chambord station to the town center, it's a 15-minute walk. Book your train ticket now!
Parking in Blois
There are numerous public parking lots in the city center, as well as paid street parking. The streets of the old town are fairly narrow and steep, so we recommend parking a little way out of the way. Find out more about parking here.
Where to eat in Blois
Blois has a great range of restaurants, and we've tried out a few for you:
- The Amour Blanc Restaurant: for a top-flight gastronomic meal designed by chef Chistophe Hay, served in a room with a breathtaking view of Blois and its Cathedral.
- Restaurant Au Rendez-vous des pêcheurs: for a dinner where seafood products are sublimely combined with the other stars of the Loire Valley, vegetables. All served in a brightly decorated former grocery store.
Discover the restaurants where we ate and our recommendations in our dedicated article.
Visiting Blois in winter
Planning a stay in Blois during the winter season? This is a very good idea, as you'll avoid the summer crowds. Tourism is booming in the Loire Valley, especially in summer.
Blois and the surrounding area offer a wealth of tourist attractions, even in the depths of winter. With its castle, museums and other attractions, you'll have no time to get bored! All these indoor activities will help you get out of the cold. Just remember to check the opening hours of the venue beforehand.
In winter, the city is also alive with festivals:
- The Rendez-vous de l'histoire in October: see here
- The bd BOUM Festival in November: see here
- Festival Des Lyres d'hiver in December: see here
- La Semaine "Elles" in March: see here
- Carnival in March: see here
PLAN YOUR TRIP IN
Loire Valley
The castles of the Loire Valley
Other places to explore
Practice
HE WROTE THE ARTICLE Manu
