ORLÉANS is the northernmost city on the Loire, sitting at the apex of a huge arc in the river as it switches direction and starts to flow southwest. Its proximity to Paris, just over 100km away, is a problem for this ancient city. Not only do many Orléanais go to Paris for their evenings out, they commute to work there as well. To counter its subordinate position as a country suburb to the capital, Orléans feels compelled to recoup its faded glory by harking back to the turning point in the Hundred Years War (1339-1453), when Paris had been captured by the English and was infested by disease, and Orléans itself, as the key city to central France, was under siege.

Despite a rich early history of being a centre of revolt against Julius Cæsar in 52 BC (for which it was burnt to the ground), besieged by Attila the Hun in the mid-fifth century, and elevated to the position of temporary capital of the Frankish kingdom in 498, it is Joan of Arc 's (Jeanne d'Arc) deliverance of the city in 1429 that the town feels bound to commemorate. Crazed or divinely inspired, the 17-year-old peasant girl presented herself to the Dauphin, the uncrowned Charles VII, at Chinon , rallied French troops at Blois and then led them up the Loire to confront the English at Orléans. She informed the encircling army that God had sent her to throw them out of France, and proceeded to break all military rules and raise the siege. The Maid of Orléans is honoured everywhere in town despite people questioning the story's authenticity.

There's been a lot of new building and tarting up of the city over the last few years. It may not have provided much aesthetic improvement, which is difficult given the beauty of Orléans' ancient buildings, but it's been a valiant and not entirely vain attempt to bring back some pride to the place. One of the best times to visit is May 8 ( Joan of Arc Day ), when the city is filled with parades, fireworks and a medieval fair.