Marché de la Place Louis XII
Every Saturday morning the square in front of the château fills with vendors selling raw-milk chèvre, Sologne honey, river-caught fish and bunches of local asparagus — this is where Blois residents actually shop, not a tourist facsimile.
What to look for in the stalls
Seek out the Crottin de Chavignol producers from the nearby Berry region; a fresh crottin costs around €1.50 and pairs perfectly with a baguette from the boulangerie on Rue du Commerce a block away. In spring, white asparagus from the sandy Sologne soils appears in fat bundles — buy a kilo and ask your hotel kitchen to cook it, most will oblige.
The fish stall run by the Gauthier family sources zander and pike directly from the Loire — both are rarely seen in Parisian markets and make a genuinely regional meal. Arrive before 10:00 for the best selection; by noon the serious produce is gone.
Coffee and people-watching
After shopping, join locals at Café de l'Union on the corner of Place Louis XII for a grand crème and a croissant. The zinc bar, unchanged since the 1970s, faces directly onto the market bustle — a front-row seat to the social heart of Blois.
The market also has a small brocante section on the western edge where dealers sell vintage Limoges porcelain, old postcards of the Loire châteaux and the occasional Art Deco lamp for surprisingly fair prices.
Marché de la Place Louis XII on video
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