Blois: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 90 - 230 Hotel Mercure Blois Centre
 Mercure Blois Centre offers an indoor swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and hamman It is set in the heart of Blois, opposite the Loire River.
All of its … MoreEUR 48 - 83 Hotel Le Savoie
 Conveniently located hotel on the banks of the Loire, close to the famous castle of the Loire Valley. Reasonably priced accommodation, ideally situate… MoreEUR 81 - 150 Holiday Inn Blois Centre
 Located in the heart of the Loire Valley, this Holiday Inn is just a 5-minute walk from the centre of Blois. It offers air-conditioned accommodation w… MoreEUR 35 - 74 La Renaissance
 La Renaissance is an 18th century hotel located just 5 minutes walk from the city centre of Blois. It is just 200 metres from the castle.
Rooms are c… MoreEUR 87 - 150 Le Médicis
 Located 1 kilometres from the Castle of Blois, Hotel Le Médicis welcomes you in a beautiful town house and is the perfect choice for gourmets.
The h… MoreEUR 51 - 135 Relais de l´Octroi
 Situated in Blois, in the Vallée des Rois, the Relais is 300 metres from the SNCF train station and 5 minutes from the city centre. It offers stylish… MoreEUR 37 - 44 Premiere Classe Blois Nord
 Easily accessible from the A10 motorway and the D924, the hotel is situated close to the city of Blois and its castle.
Ideally located between Tours… MoreEUR 45 - 90 Hôtel Saint Jacques
 The Hotel St Jacques is only located 2 minutes from Blois Castle and the historical town centre. The hotel is situated within close proximity of the s… MoreEUR 25 - 75 Hôtel Du Bellay
 A small and friendly hotel, Du Bellay Hotel enjoys a central location in medieval Blois, a charming town set on the banks of the river Loire between O… MoreEUR 60 - 300 Best Western Blois Château
 Best Western Blois Château is located 5 minutes from Blois city centre and 150 metres from Blois SNCF train station. It offers free Wi-Fi.
Each air-… MoreEUR 110 - 110 Appart´Tourisme Blois Châteaux de la Loire
 The Appart´Tourisme Blois Châteaux de la Loire is a stylish apartment in a 17th-century building in the heart of historic Blois. It includes fr… MoreEUR 70 - 80 Brit Hotel Prema
 In the heart of valley of the Loire and its castles, our hotel is located 3 minutes away from the A10 exit and 8 minutes from the town centre, and Blo… MoreEUR 52 - 86 Campanile Blois Nord
 The hotel Campanile Blois Nord offers comfortable and affordable accommodation perfect for a short stay or visit to the Loire Valley.
The Centre regi… MoreEUR 49 - 90 Hôtel De France Et De Guise
 Located in the heart of Blois, Hotel de France is set in a 19th-century building, just 100 metres from the Chateau de Blois. It offers rooms with free… MoreEUR 35 - 58 Hôtel Balladins Blois Péage
 The hotel welcomes you close to Blois, its castle and Magic Museum, and it offers good value for money.
Hôtel Balladins Blois Péage Express is loc… MoreEUR 38 - 80 Appart´city Blois
 Appart´City Blois, located in the city centre between the Loire River and the train station, is 350 metres from the castle and close to many sho… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Blois: Guide
Blois is a town and département, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire River|Loire between Orléans and Tours.
Sights
The famous Château de Blois, a Renaissance château once occupied by Louis XII of France|King Louis XII, is located in the centre of the city, and an 18th century stone bridge spans the Loire. As Blois is centered on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. To the west of town, the Forêt de Russy is a remainder of the heavy woods that once covered the area.
History
Though of ancient origin, Blois is first distinctly mentioned by Gregory of Tours in the 6th century, and the town gained some notability in the 9th century, when it became the seat of Count of Blois|a powerful countship. In 1171, Blois was the site of a blood libel accusation against its Jewish community that led to (by some accounts) 31 Jews being burned to death. In 1196, Count Louis granted privileges to the townsmen; a commune, which survived throughout the Middle Ages, probably dated from this time. The counts of the Châtillon line resided at Blois more often than their predecessors, and the oldest parts of the château (from the 13th century) were built by them. In 1429, Joan of Arc made Blois her base of operations for the Battle of Orléans|relief of Orleans. After his captivity in England, Charles, duc d'Orléans|Charles of Orleans in 1440 took up his residence in the château, where in 1462 his son, afterwards Louis XII, was born. In the 16th century Blois was often the resort of the French court. The Treaty of Blois, which temporarily halted the Italian Wars, was signed there in 1504-1505.
The city's inhabitants included many Calvinism|Calvinists, and in 1562 and 1567 it was the scene of struggles between them and the supporters of the Catholicism|Catholic church. In 1576 and 1588 Henry III of France|Henri III, king of France, chose Blois as the meeting-place of the French States-General|States-General, and in 1588 he brought about the murders of Henry I, Duke of Guise|Henry, duke of Guise, and his brother, Louis II, Cardinal of Guise|Louis, archbishop of Reims and cardinal, in the Château de Blois|Château, where their deaths were shortly followed by that of the queen-mother, Catherine de' Medici. From 1617 to 1619 Marie de' Medici, wife of Henry IV of France|King Henri IV, exiled from the court, lived at the château, which was soon afterwards given by Louis XIII of France|King Louis XIII to his brother Gaston, Duke of Orleans, who lived there till his death in 1660.
The bishopric dates from the end of the 17th century. In 1814 Blois was for a short time the seat of the regency of Marie Louise of Austria|Marie Louise, wife of Napoleon I.
Blois was occupied during World War II by the Germany|German army, which took the city on June 18, 1940. The city was liberated by United States|American soldiers during the last two weeks of August, 1944. On both occasions, the city withstood several days of bombing.
Miscellaneous
Births
Blois was the birthplace of:
Blois is twinned with:
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Blois". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Stephen of England|Stephen (c. 1096-1154), List of English monarchs|King of England from 1135 to 1154.
Louis XII of France (1462-1515), list of French monarchs|King of France from 1498 to 1515
Jean Morin (1591-1659), theologian and biblical of Protestant parents
Denis Papin (1647-c.1712), physicist, mathematician and inventor
Thomas de Mahy, Marquis de Favras (1744-1790), royalist
Jean Marie Pardessus (1772-1853), lawyer
Jacques Nicolas Augustin Thierry (1795-1856), historian
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871), magic (illusion)|magician
René Guénon (also Sheikh 'Abd al-Wahid Yahya), (1886-1951), author, philosopher, social critic, the founder of the Traditionalist SchoolTwin towns
Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany, since June 30, 1963
Weimar, Germany, since February 18, 1995
Lewes, United Kingdom, since June 30, 1963
Sighişoara, Romania, since November 18, 1995
Urbino, Italy, since May 1, 2003 ("friendship protocol")External links