Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is worth a peek inside for its beautifully lit apse and its blend of Gothic and Romanesque
styles. Find Rue Anne de Bretagne behind the church and track it back to Place Louis XII.
Fromhere,pedestrian-friendlystreetslikeRueSt.MartinleadnorthtoRueduCommerce,
the town's main shopping drag, and to peaceful medieval lanes below Blois' other hill,
crowned by St. Louis Cathedral .Nearby Rue delaFoulerie isheadquarters forhipBlois.
Biking from Blois
Blois is well positioned as a starting point for biking forays into the countryside. Cycling
from Blois to Chambord is a level, two-hour, one-way ride along a well-marked, 13-mile
route,muchofitabike-onlylanethatfollowstheriver.YoucanloopbacktoBloiswithout
repeating the same route, and connect to a good network of other bike paths (the TI's free
Le Pays des Châteaux á Vélo map shows the bike routes in this area). Hardy riders can
bike one-way to Amboise via Chaumont by renting at the Détours de Loire bike shop (See
“Helpful Hints” for Blois, earlier).
Sleeping in Blois
Blois has a scarcity of worthwhile hotels.
$$$ Hôtel Mercure Blois*** ismodernandpriceybutreliable,withariverfrontloc-
ation within a 15-minute walk below the château (Db-€140-180, air-con, 28 Quai Saint
Jean, tel. 02 54 56 66 66, www.mercure.com ).
$$$ Best Western Blois Château*** has stylish decor, small-but-sharp rooms, and
all the comforts you'd expect from this chain (Db-€125-150, air-con, Wi-Fi, loaner iPads,
across from the train station and behind the château at 8 Avenue du Dr. Jean Laigret, tel.
02 54 56 85 10, www.bestwesternblois.com , bwbloischateau@orange.fr ).
$ Hôtel Anne de Bretagne** offerstopvaluewith30comfortable,traditionalrooms
at good prices, a central location near the château and train station, and a welcoming ter-
race. They also rent bikes (Db-€59, Tb-€73, Qb-€84, breakfast-€8.50, no elevator or air-
con, Wi-Fi, 150 yards uphill from Parking du Château, 5-minute walk below the train sta-
tionat31AvenueduDr.JeanLaigret,tel.0254780538, www.hotelannedebretagne.com ,
contact@hotelannedebretagne.com ) .
Eating in Blois
Diners can start offtheir evening with a glass ofwine at welcoming Chez Laurent, where
localsgatheraroundwinebarrelstosipandpeople-watch(5RueSt.Martin).Anotherpop-
ular watering hole is Le St. Lubin, a café-bar (16 Rue St. Lubin).
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