BlogaboutLoiret

Loiret lies at the heart of the Loire valley, an area of woodland, heaths and lakes which is a paradise for nature lovers. The great city of Orleans is the largest city and the most northern point of the Loire river, and is easily reached by L’Aquitaine autoroute from Paris . It is a big busy city, much bombarded by the Germans in World War II but with an old quarter that has been painstakingly restored. Place du Matroi is at the centre dominated by a statue of Jeanne d’Arc, heroine of the city. On Place de Gaulle is the Maison de Jeanne d’Arc, where she stayed in 1429, now a museum devoted to her life and military achievements. The Cathedrale Ste Croix has been ravaged and restored several times since it was first built in the 13th century, but still has a lovely rose window, a window depicting Jeanne d’Arc and a rich treasury. Also worth visiting is the Musée des Beaux Arts, on Place St Croix, with a fine collection which includes works by Chardin and Velasquez, and the Musée Historique et Archeologique, where you can see remarkable Celtic statues. Orleans is famous for its gardens, in particular the huge Parc Floral de la Source, a 100 acre nature park on the outskirts. It is particularly splendid seen in May and June when over 900 varieities of irises come into bloom!

Economy
Of the 1,669,332 acres (675,555 ha) of land in the department, 975,000 acres (395,000 ha) are arable, 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) are vines, 60,000 acres (24,000 ha) are pasture, 280,000 acres (110,000 ha) are forested, 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) are plantations and orchards and 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) are unproductive moorland and heathland. The soil is in general fertile and productive; the Beauce is the main wheat-growing region, oats are widely cultivated and rye is also grown. Other crops include fruit, asparagus, saffron and herbs. Vines are cultivated and wine produced, and the area is noted for its fruit preservation. Bee-keeping also takes place and honey is produced.[7] Loiret has little industrial development, and commerce is centred about the sale of corn, timber, cattle, chestnuts, cider, honey, flour, fruits, fish, salt, saffron and wool. The only minerals extracted are stone, limestone, marl and clay.[7]