Romorantin-Lanthenay
France > Loire > Cities > Romorantin
ROMORANTIN-LANTHENAY, 67km due south of Orléans, is the biggest town in the Sologne and best visited in the last weekend in October for the Journées Gastronomiques, a major food festival when every restaurant and hundreds of street stalls tempt you with traditional and novel dishes centred on game, wild mushrooms, apples and pumpkins. The rest of the year the only sight of interest is the Musée de Sologne, in the old mills in the centre of Romorantin (April–Nov Mon & Wed–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 2–6pm; Dec–March Mon & Wed–Sat 10am–noon & 2–6pm, Sun 2–6pm; €4.50), which presents the history, ecology and traditions of the area.Five kilometres outside Romorantin, on the road to Salbris, the huge, child-friendly Aliotis aquarium (Feb & March daily 11am–5.30pm; April–June & Sept daily 10am–6.30pm; July & Aug daily 10am–7.30pm; Nov–Jan Wed & Sun 11am–5.30pm; €10) has displays of local fish like pike-perch and catfish, as well as exotic species such as large sharks and turtles, and a tank containing around a thousand piranhas. For information walking routes in the Sologne, as well as bike rental, contact the tourist office on place de la Paix (Mon–Sat 10am–12.15pm & 2–6.30pm, Tues–Sat 8.45am–12.15pm & 1.30–6.30pm; July & Aug Sun 10am–noon; tel 02.54.76.43.89). If you fancy a splurge, head for Grand Hôtel du Lion d'Or, 69 rue G.-Clemenceau (tel 02.54.94.15.15, www.hotel-liondor.fr; €100–125), an old manor house, with a fabulous courtyard garden, sixteen well-appointed rooms and a stellar restaurant (meals over €75). Le Colombie, 18 place du Vieux-Marché (tel 02.54.76.12.76), is friendly and quiet, and serves regional specialities in its small restaurant (closed Sun eve).
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