Windows on a building of character in Blois.

The streets of Blois can occasionally reveal an architectural style quite different from the town's famous château. This late 19th-century townhouse combines red brick, carved stone and colourful glazed tiles in a design that reflects the craftsmanship of its period.

It's a fine example of how everyday homes can possess some of the character as the grand buildings for which the Loire Valley is renowned.

Blois experienced a building boom at the end of the 19th century, and many new homes were influenced by the fashionable Art Nouveau movement and regional architectural styles. Decorative glazed ceramic tiles, like those on this façade, were both ornamental and practical, adding colour while helping to protect the brickwork from the weather.

“Through every window, the Loire breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

---

Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — Windows of the Loire · Back to Home

Windows and balconies of Château de Blois.

The Château de Blois is often admired for its grand staircases and royal history but its windows and balconies tell their own story. Looking up at the François I wing, the repeating arches, ornate stonework and projecting windows reveal a Renaissance fascination with light, symmetry and display.

These openings were never merely practical. They framed views across the town, admitted light into royal apartments and proclaimed the wealth and sophistication of the court. Even today, the rhythm of windows and balconies draws the eye upward, encouraging visitors to appreciate the building as a composition rather than simply a fortress.

Château de Blois was a favourite residence of King François I, who brought Renaissance ideas from Italy to France. The wing seen here, completed in the early sixteenth century, was among the first major expressions of French Renaissance architecture, helping to set a style that would spread throughout the Loire Valley and beyond.

“Through every window, the Loire breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

---

Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — Windows of the Loire · Back to Home

Wednesday for windows - La Maison de la Magie in Blois.

One of our favourite sets of windows in the Loire Valley can be found at the remarkable Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin in Blois.

Located directly across from the courtyard of the magnificent Château Royal de Blois, this unusual building surprises visitors every half hour when several large golden dragon heads suddenly emerge from the windows and balconies. The animated display is playful, theatrical, and perfectly suited to the museum’s magical theme.

The museum is dedicated to the famous 19th-century illusionist Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, widely considered the father of modern magic. Born in Blois, he revolutionized stage magic and inspired many performers who followed.

The façade itself becomes part of the show. At scheduled times the dragon heads extend dramatically from the windows as if the building itself were alive—an unexpected and entertaining spectacle in the historic heart of the city.

Location: Opposite the courtyard of the Château Royal de Blois, Blois, Loire Valley

If you visit Blois, try to time your walk through the square so you can see the dragons appear—it’s a fun moment that delights both children and adults.

Nearby: Just steps away is the beautiful Château Royal de Blois, one of the most historically significant castles in the Loire Valley, once home to several French kings.

Bon mercredi dans la vallée de la Loire !

 

“Through every window, the Loire breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

---

Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — Windows of the Loire · Back to Home

Towns & Villages: Blois and its layers of history.

This is a favourite view in Blois's historic core, on Rue du Puits Châtel, near the cathedral and the château district. The half-timbered building is part of the preserved medieval quarter, while the cathedral (built 1678–1697 on older foundations) anchors the skyline with its tall bell tower and dome.

A reminder: some Loire towns are best seen in their small details — a timbered corner, a cathedral tower in the background, the quiet layers of history.

Bon mardi dans la vallée de la Loire !

“Every town and village in the Loire Valley tells its story gently — in rooftops, stonework and narrow streets.”

---

Part of the “Towns & Villages of the Loire” Series

Each Tuesday, we visit one of the Loire Valley's towns or villages of the Loire Valley — their streets, stories, and quiet beauty.

Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Towns & Villages of the Loire · Back to Home 

 

Streets of the Loire...in Blois a city of layers.

In Blois, this little street tilts toward the river like a quiet thought. light slips between shutters, a florist opens early and someone carries the day’s first basket of errands down the slope. Above it all, a pink umbrella, a remnant from 'Octobre Rose', hangs giving a splash of colour against the limestone calm.

Blois is a city of layers: medieval passages, Renaissance façades, and traces of kings and revolutions woven into everyday life. On a Saturday morning, none of that is evident, what you feel instead is the gentleness of a place that still moves at a human pace.

“In the Loire, even the quiet streets know how to welcome a weekend.”

---

Part of the “Streets of the Loire” Series

Each Saturday, we explore a moment from the Loire Valley — its streets, its textures, and its quietly unfolding stories.

Browse the full series

© Streets of the Loire · Back to Home

Monday's chateau...Blois

This morning’s château is the Château Royal de Blois, a masterpiece that tells the story of French architecture in one sweeping glance. Gothic solemnity, Renaissance grace, and Classical symmetry coexist here, as if centuries have simply agreed to share the same address.

From its terraces, kings once looked out over the Loire, and history itself seemed to pause on the steps below. Today, the same light plays across its stone, soft and golden, carrying whispers of royal intrigue and quiet grandeur.

“Every façade in Blois is a chapter — together, they tell the story of France.”

---

Part of the “Château Monday” Series

Every Monday, we visit a château in the Loire — not just to see its walls, but to feel its stories.

Discover more about the Loire Valley
Check out the Loire Valley Chateaux

© Experience Loire — Châteaux of the Loire · Back to Home

Wednesday for windows...Blois.

 Windows on the gatehouse of the former national stud farm on Avenue Maunoury, in Blois.

 

Saturday on the streets...Rue Pierre de Blois.

We love this little street with Maison de Denis Papin (Hôtel de Villebresme). Denis Papin, who has quite a history, may not actually have lived here but apparently it is good for the tourists!

 

Wednesday for windows...in Blois

 More on Blois here.

Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench - Blois

 

On the Denis-Papin staircase in Blois a view that changes annually.

You can checkout some of the changes here.

Vendredi et une vue - Blois

 

Looking over the Loire river to the city of Blois, the capital of the Loir-et-Cher department here in Centre-Val de Loire.

Monday's Loire Valley chateau - Chateau de Blois and its spiral staircase.

One of the most renowned architectural features of Chateau de Blois is the spiral staircase in the François I wing. Domenico da Cortona. an Italian architect, is credited with its design. He was invited to France by Charles VIII and remained in the service of François I.

Tuesday for towns - half-timbered houses in Blois

 

Wednesday for windows - bow window in Blois.

Tuesday for towns - buildings 'in the frame' in Blois

 

Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench - with views over Blois

 

Bon week-end à tous, have a good weekend everyone.

Chateau de Blois

Wednesday for windows - in the 'house of fun'!

One of our favourite set of windows can be found at 'La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin', which sits opposite the courtyard of the chateau in Blois.

Wednesday is for windows...adding a splash of colour in Blois.

 

Tuesday for towns in the Loire Valley - beautiful Blois

More on Blois here