The Rue de Bourgogne is Orléans's main east-west artery and has been so since Roman times, when it was the decumanus — the road crossing the city from one side to the other. Today it is lined with half-timbered houses, Renaissance townhouses, restaurants, bars, and independent shops, and the streets north and south of it preserve much of the old fabric of the city.
The best section for walking is between the Place du Martroi (the central square with Joan of Arc's equestrian statue) and the Place du Châtelet to the east. Along the way you pass the Hôtel Groslot, a 16th-century Renaissance mansion that served as the city hall for centuries and is open for visits, and several beautifully preserved timber-framed houses from the 15th century. The streets south of Rue de Bourgogne, closer to the Loire, have a quieter residential character with occasional good restaurants tucked into the old houses.