The steps of Blois: exploring Saint-Honoré
Saint-Honoré · Lanes and viewpoints · 4-minute read
In Blois, you often climb a few steps to reach the next street. The degrés connect the town’s levels: a narrow passage, a staircase, then suddenly rooftops and the Loire. Around Saint-Honoré, the journey matters as much as the destination.
Why are they called degrés?
In its older meaning, degré means a step; it can also mean a staircase. In Blois, it remains part of the language of the streets. Around Saint-Honoré and Saint-Louis, small and large stepped passages connect the levels between the Haut-Bourg and Puits-Châtel districts. The address itself becomes a clue to the terrain. See the reference on the Haut-Bourg’s topography and streets below.
Try returning by a different route. Sometimes a few steps are enough to rediscover a viewpoint seen from above or emerge into a street you had not noticed.
Small passages and a grand staircase
The Saint-Honoré steps are part of this way of crossing Blois on foot. The Denis-Papin staircase is on another scale: this monumental development opened in 1865 during the town’s nineteenth-century transformations. The town’s staircases should not all be given the same age. See the reference on the Haut-Bourg’s development below.
You pass through the smaller degrés almost as if slipping between two houses. The Denis-Papin staircase opens a much wider perspective: pause at the bottom and the top to appreciate the difference.
Look at Blois from Saint-Honoré
From Le Nid, start by looking at the rooftops. During a walk, then find some of those features at street level. Alternating these views adds another dimension: a roof becomes a house and a distant landmark becomes a stop.
Our suggestion is simple: spend a walk around Saint-Honoré, then head to the cathedral and Évêché gardens before descending to the Loire. Adapt the route to your energy and the passages open on the day. This is an idea for independent exploration, not a waymarked circuit.
A small hunt for details
With children, choose three things to look for: a turning staircase, an unusual door and a window from which you would like to look out over town. Everyone can take a photo and tell the story afterwards. History becomes easier to share when it starts with a detail you noticed yourself.
Wear comfortable shoes and account for steps if bringing a pushchair or if stairs are difficult. Le Nid itself is on the third floor without a lift: plan for the access as well as the view. Continue with our guide to exploring Blois on foot.
Continue your discovery at Le Nid de Saint-Honoré
At 8 Petits Degrés Saint-Honoré, Le Nid welcomes up to four guests in 70 m², with Blois waiting outside the door.
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Article by Un Séjour à Blois · September 2026. Historical references are listed below. Suggested walks are ideas for independent exploration.
References and practical information
Links retained from the French article. Check the official pages for current visiting conditions; some sources are in French.
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