Two days in Romorantin-Lanthenay: an hour-by-hour plan

Two days are enough for Romorantin-Lanthenay and the country just around it, as long as you pick the right days. The simplest plan is a Saturday in town on foot, then a Sunday by car within 30 minutes. Saturday because it is market day, Sunday because the two small châteaux nearby open mainly at weekends.

From the cottage at 23 rue de Loreux, the covered market is 1 km away, a 14-minute walk. The Musée de Sologne is 14 minutes on foot and the Matra museum 15. The car stays parked on the first day.

Day 1: the town on foot, from the market to the museums

The food market is held in the Halle, the covered market hall, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. On Wednesdays a clothes market is added on Place du Général-de-Gaulle. A third market takes place on Friday mornings on Place des Favignolles, outside the centre. One thing to know if you are new to France: lunch is served from 12 noon to about 2 pm, and kitchens rarely take orders after that.

1. 9.00 amMarket at the Halle

   A 14-minute walk from the cottage (1 km). Food market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Shop for dinner here: the house has a fitted kitchen and a barbecue.

2. 10.15 amThe old town and the banks of the Sauldre

   Follow the “De ville en île” trail: a 3 km loop with yellow waymarks and information panels. Allow 1 hr 30 with stops. Free map from the tourist office, 32 place de la Paix.

3. 12.15 pmLunch in the centre

   Le Bistrot de la Halle (6 rue du Tour de la Halle) or La Table Gourmande (18 place de la Paix, lunch from 12 noon to 2 pm). Both are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

4. 2.00 pmMusée de Sologne

   Three former watermills on the Sauldre. €6 self-guided, €4 reduced, free under 6, €16 for 2 adults and 2 children. Allow 1 hr 30, our estimate. Open 2 pm to 6 pm from April to early November, 5.30 pm in winter.

5. 4.00 pmEspace Automobiles Matra

   A 5-minute walk from the Musée de Sologne (370 m), at 17 rue des Capucins. €8 per adult, €5 for ages 8 to 16, free under 8. The museum advises at least 1 hour. Last entry 5.30 pm, closes 6 pm.

6. 6.15 pmBack to the cottage

   A 15-minute walk. Dinner at the house with your market shopping, or a booked table in town (see below).

What is there to see in the old town?

The “De ville en île, balade à travers les âges” trail starts at the Fosse aux Lions car park and takes in two islands on the Sauldre, the town hall, the Musée de Sologne, the Carroir Doré, the remains of the Prison tower and the mills. The town has also put up 19 heritage panels, each with a QR code. Paper maps are available at the tourist office and the town hall.

• The Carroir Doré, a 15th-century timber-framed house.
• The Chancellerie, a timber-framed house listed as a historic monument since 1913.
• The former Hôtel Saint-Pol, 16 rue du Milieu, known as the house of François I, early 16th century. It is a private home, to be seen from the street.
• The royal château, built around 1448. One tower facing the Sauldre and the Prison tower survive. The buildings now house the sub-prefecture, a government office.

Leonardo da Vinci in Romorantin: what is left?

Nothing built, but a story told nowhere else. In 1517 Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for François I of a palace spanning both banks of the Sauldre. Work began that year with an embankment more than 400 m long on the right bank. After Leonardo died in 1519 the project was dropped and the king turned to Chambord. The Musée de Sologne presents this plan for a royal city. The rest of the museum covers the Sologne region and the history of Romorantin.

Is the Matra museum worth it if you are not a car enthusiast?

Yes, because it is first the story of a local factory. The Espace Automobiles Matra shows about 70 vehicles over more than 3,000 m²: the MS80 Formula 1 car, the Bagheera, the Renault Espace, and the prototypes in the basement. The temporary exhibition “Deutsche Qualität”, on German cars, runs until 1 November 2026. Dogs are not admitted, assistance dogs excepted.

Day 2: Mennetou, Selles-sur-Cher and the Château du Moulin

The second day is a 73 km (45-mile) loop. You head east to a walled medieval village, follow the Cher valley down to Selles, then come back through the forest to a moated brick château. No leg is longer than 30 minutes.

1. 9.45 amLeave the cottage for Mennetou-sur-Cher

   An 18-minute drive (16 km).

2. 10.05 amMedieval village of Mennetou-sur-Cher

   13th-century ramparts, 3 gates, timber-framed houses from the 15th and 16th centuries. Free access all year. Allow 1 hr 15. Information point at the Maison des Artisans, 21 Grande Rue, closed on Sundays in October and November.

3. 11.30 amDrive to Selles-sur-Cher

   30 minutes (26 km) along the Cher valley.

4. 12 noonPicnic by the Cher

   There is a picnic area on the riverbank just behind the château, with free parking close by. The château café is not open in 2026.

5. 2.00 pmChâteau de Selles-sur-Cher

   Self-guided visit of about 1 hour: Béthune pavilion, medieval château, grounds. €10 per adult, €7 for ages 4 to 16. Open 2 pm to 6 pm, last entry 5.15 pm. No dogs.

6. 3.15 pmDrive to Lassay-sur-Croisne

   30 minutes (17 km).

7. 3.45 pmChâteau du Moulin

   Self-guided visit of about 1 hour, no booking. €10 per adult, €6 for ages 7 to 18, free under 7. Open on certain weekends only: check the calendar below.

8. 5.00 pmBack to the cottage

   21 minutes (14 km).

Which days are the two châteaux open?

Check this before you set off, because neither opens every day. Like many French sights, both also close for lunch.

From October to March the Château du Moulin is closed. Swap it for an afternoon in Romorantin, or bring forward one of the outings in our weekend in the Sologne plan. In Selles-sur-Cher, avoid Thursday mornings if you come midweek in the holidays: it is the big market day and parking is hard to find.

Selles-sur-Cher gives its name to a raw-milk goat's cheese with an ash-coated rind and a protected designation of origin. You will find it in the town's shops, which open from Tuesday to Sunday lunchtime.

Where to eat in Romorantin?

Five places in the centre, all checked in October 2026. Closing days matter more than the menu: on Sundays and Mondays the choice shrinks sharply. Dinner service in a small French town usually starts at 7 pm.

Lion d'Or 1774 is the former Grand Hôtel du Lion d'Or. Book it several days ahead. For Sunday lunch, La Belle Époque is the only one of the first three that opens. With a fitted kitchen at the house, the Saturday market also takes care of dinner.

How much do the two days cost?

Admission comes to €34 per adult over the two days, at 2026 prices. Meals are not included.

What if it rains?

Day 1 barely changes, since both museums are indoors: replace the morning walk with the Musée de Sologne from 10 am and keep Matra for the afternoon. The Alain Calmat swimming complex, 16 avenue de Paris, has a 25 m pool, a small pool and a water slide. Entry is €2.50 per adult and €1.60 for ages 3 to 17, and a swimming cap is compulsory, as in most French public pools. On Saturdays it opens from 9 am to 12.45 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm. For day 2, our guide to what to do in the Sologne when it rains ranks indoor outings by driving time.

With children, a dog or a pushchair?

• Children, the Matra museum is free under 8 and the pool has a slide. Under-8s must be accompanied there by an adult.
• Dogs, they are not admitted at the Matra museum or the Château de Selles-sur-Cher. At the Château du Moulin they are accepted on a lead, outdoors only.
• Pushchairs and wheelchairs, the Musée de Sologne has a lift to every floor. The Matra museum has a lift and the national Tourisme et Handicap accessibility label.

When to come to Romorantin?

From April to September for the full plan, Château du Moulin included. On 24 and 25 October 2026 the town hosts the Journées Gastronomiques de Sologne, a food fair with exhibitors and cookery competitions, at the Fabrique Normant, 2 avenue François-Mitterrand. In January the Musée de Sologne is closed.

To stay longer, Cheverny is 31 minutes away and Chambord 43: our Loire châteaux in 3 days itinerary starts from the same address. The cottage is a whole house of 115 m² for 6 guests, with an enclosed garden and private parking, within walking distance of the centre.