Stage Artenay - Orléans

This stage brings the crossing of the Beauce to an end and the Way reaches the Loire at Orléans, the first large city since Paris. It is a short day with no appreciable gradient, passing from open fields to woodland and finally to the urban fabric of the capital of the Loiret.

From Artenay the way continues south across the cereal plain, with Chevilly as the first village on the route. Little by little the first stands of trees appear: these are the fringes of the Forest of Orléans, the largest state-owned forest in mainland France, which the route skirts near Cercottes. After several days without shade, the stretches among oaks and pines are a very welcome change.

The approach to the city passes through Saran and Fleury-les-Aubrais, towns now absorbed into the urban area. Here the walking is along pavements and residential streets, with every service to hand, and presents no difficulty other than the tarmac.

Orléans greets the pilgrim with the silhouette of the cathedral of Sainte-Croix, whose openwork towers dominate the historic centre. The city is inseparably linked to Joan of Arc, who lifted the English siege in 1429: her equestrian statue presides over the Place du Martroi and a reconstructed house recalls her stay. The streets of the old town run down to the quays of the Loire, the river that will guide the coming days.

As a stage end, Orléans offers a wide choice of accommodation and restaurants and deserves an unhurried afternoon's visit. It is also a good place for a rest day before setting out along the Loire valley.