Orleans Cathedral France Guided Tour
is The Sainte Croix Cathedral is a very unusual building as it was nearly totally destroyed during the religious war and rebuilt in the modern era, mainly in the baroque period, in its original gothic style. Our cathedral visit is also an Orleans Walking Tour as we will show you the most relevant buildings all around including the famous salle des Thèses.
Visit Orléans: Cathedral tour - The Orléans Cathedral Sainte-Croix. © Broaden horizons
Orleans Cathedral France Private Tour Essentials
119 € for 1 to 2 people + 7 € per extra person
- Private +/- 1.5-hour walking Tour in English
- Really private tour: your party only (6 people max.)
- Postgraduate (MPhil) certified French national guide
- Flexible schedule 7/7 if available
- Online booking & payment
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Your Private Guide in Orleans
Certified French national guide.
Centre-Loire Valley Region accreditation (VAH).
BA, Magna cum laude, Heritage Developpement & Preservation at Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers.
Postgraduate (MPhil) from Paris Dauphine-PSL University.
Orleans Cathedral Guided Tour Content
This tour is not only a visit to the Orléans Cathedral, it is also an Orléans guided tour around the monument. The tour is organized in 5 levels.
This tour is not only a visit to the Orléans Cathedral, it is also an Orléans guided tour around the monument. The tour is organized in 5 levels
1. The Exterior of the Cathedral
On one hand, we will study the chronological construction, for example how Louis XIV (the sun king) left his mark here, and on the other hand, we will speak about some interesting statues sculpted by famous artists such as Jean-Antoine Houdon, Augustin Pajou, etc.
2. The Links Between the Cathedral and its Environment
Joan of Arc street, the remains of the Canonical district and the ancient Gallo-Roman city wall, Bishop Palace, Campo Santo, etc.
3. Disapared Monuments All Around the Cathedral
Hôtel Dieu, Saint-Michel and Saint Pierre-Lentin Churches, Saint-Anne and Saint-Lazare Chapels.
4. Linked With the Previous Level a Concise But Dense Architecture Review
- Middle Age stones houses.
- Flamboyant Gothic stone houses.
- Half-timbered houses.
- Renaissance.
- 17th / 18th Classic.
- 19th century Neo-gothic and Neo-classic.
5. The Interior of the Cathedral
Our guided tour will learn about the vast structure of the building with its double aisles. We will also speak of the furnishings and the interior décore widely influenced by the neogothic style and also about old masters painting hung on the cathedral walls.
Last we will mention the Joan of Arc iconography of the cathedral.
If you are especially interested in Joan of Arc we propose a Joan of Arc Orléans Walking Tour which includes a dedicated halt in the cathedral.
Amazing things You Will Learn About during the Orleans Cathedral Tour
The choir of the former Romanesque cathedral is still there under the one of the gothic structure it is one of the very first examples of cathedral deambulatory (no visit possible).
Close to the cathedral are a lot of points of interest as :
Crossing of former Gallo-Roman main streets Cardo and Decumanus.
Orleans oldest house, probably built around 1265, five years before the death of Louis IX (Saint Louis) in Tunis during the 7th crusade.
One of the first public squares created at the very beginning of the French Renaissance.
You will also see that the former benedictine monastery of Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle is now the head of the Loiret departement (préfecture).
Last you will also discover what finally became the former chapel of the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.
Know More About Orleans
Orleans is before all a city of the Loire Valley strategically located in the northern point of the Royal River. This exceptional geographical situation is one of the reasons for the importance of Orleans in French history.
Nowadays, Orleans is the capital city of the «Région Centre-Val de Loire » (Loire Valley region), the core city of an urban area of 281,899 inhabitants.
Orleans has a dynamic economy and takes advantage of its proximity to Paris, which is easily reachable in +/- one hour by intercity or regional trains.
Orleans city is also involved in tourism with a city center which is part of the Loire Valley territory covered by the UNESCO accreditation. Orleans' rich cultural heritage is also recognized by being listed as « villes d’art et d’histoire » (cities of art and history) the French heritage label.
Visit the OrlEans Fin Arts Museum
During your Orleans Cathedral guided tour, you will see that the original Gothic monument was destroyed during the mid 16th century and reconstructed from the beginning of the 17th century to the mid 19th century. If you are interested you should consider a visit to the Orleans Museum of Fine Arts which covers the period in depth. This museum is a treat! You should not miss it!
Our Museum of Fine Arts Guided Tour will help you to make the most of your visit to Orléans.
The visit of the cathedral is also an Orléans walking tour as you will discover on the way some of the most relevant buidings around the cathedral: here some colorfull half timbered houses © Broaden horizons
Tour Booking Information
Meeting Point
In front of the Hôtel Groslot,
place de l'Etape, 45000 Orléans.
Access: Tram line B, station Cathédrale.
Attention Points
- Tour is on foot.
- Weather: the tour will start on schedule rain or shine.
- Prices do not include transportation, food, drinks, or any other extra services.
- Tour duration & content are purely indicative, they may vary due to contingencies.
- This is a neighborhood & cathedral tour: We don't enter any other monument.
- We can't guarantee access to the cathedral: exceptionally the cathedral can be closed or forbidden to tours (ceremony) without notice. In this case, the tour will be adapted to the Joan of Arc tour or the Orléans city tour content.
Book Your Orleans Cathedral Tour
Just follow the below 4 steps online easy process.
1. Request a date & schedule for your tour
2. Receive our answer email - if yes you have 24h to pay
3. Pay your private tour on line by credit card
4. Receive
confirmation & meeting point
Nota bene : answer to step (2) is most of the time yes.
Private Orleans Cathedral Tour
(+/- 2 hours)- For 1 to 2 people + 7 € for any extra
- A group of maximum 6 people exclusively yours
- English language
Orléans Cathédral tour - The Orléans Cathedral Sainte-Croix. © Broaden horizons