Things To Do in Blois

Blois is a piece of living history, with cobblestone streets and restored white houses with slate roofs and redbrick chimneys. Some of its “streets” are mere alleyways originally laid out in the Middle Ages or lanes linked by a series of stairs. If you have time for shopping, head for the area around rue St-Martin and rue du Commerce for high-end items such as clothing, perfume, shoes, and jewelry. On Saturday, a daylong food market is on place Louis XII and place de la République, lining several blocks in the center of town at the foot of the château.

There's not much in the way of nightlife in Blois, but you could saunter down to Le Velvet Jazz Lounge, 15 bis rue Haute (tel. 02-54-78-36-32), off rue Denis Papin. This is part of a 13th-century abbey but is now a venue for weekly jazz concerts. Otherwise, this is a classy joint for a drink. From Tuesday to Sunday it becomes a salon de thé from 3 to 7pm, becoming a bar after that (usually open until 2am).