Orléans (Things to do - Places to Visit) - ORLÉANS Top Tourist Placesbr Commune in Francebr Orléans is a city on the banks of the Loire River in north-central France, and it’s the capital of the Centre-Val de Loire region. br br Joan of Arc famously saved the city from English siege in 1429, an event celebrated with an annual festival. A re-creation of the house where she stayed during the battle, the Maison de Jeanne d’Arc, features multimedia exhibits on her life.