Blois's two unmissable sights face each other across the Place du Château: the Château Royal de Blois, where four French kings held court, and the Maison de la Magie, dedicated to the local-born magician whose stage name was lifted by Houdini. Between them sits a small square where you can sit with a coffee and watch the mechanical dragons come out of the Magie's upper windows on the hour.
The old town climbs up and down stairs between the river and the cathedral, full of half-timbered houses and Renaissance hôtels particuliers. Walk down to the Loire to cross the Pont Jacques-Gabriel, an 18th-century stone bridge with the best view of the city. Blois also makes the easiest base in the region for exploring the great châteaux of Chambord, Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chaumont.