Introduction to Orleans

119km (74 miles) SW of Paris; 72km (45 miles) SE of Chartres

After suffering damage in World War II, many Orléans neighborhoods were rebuilt in dull styles, so visitors who hope to see how it looked when the Maid of Orléans (Joan of Arc) was here are likely to be disappointed. Today, this city of 200,000 has lost a lot of its prominence to Tours, but signs of restoration bring hope for the future.