Overview

Chartres is a small city located less than an hour South West of Paris. It is renowned worldwide for its gothic cathedral, which is considered to be one of the finest and best preserved of its kind in Europe, despite being very nearly destroyed by American forces during the Second World War. It was spared due to the heroic acts of one Colonel Griffith who insisted on going behind enemy lines and searching the cathedral to establish that it was not being used as a German observation post. You'll also find a Fine Arts museum in the former Episcopal Palace.

In recent years a new mayor has overseen the modernization of the center of town, which has provoked both positive and negative reactions from the “Chartrains”, but there is no doubt that the town is undergoing a certain renewal that offers a diversity of sites to see and things to do. Apart from the Cathedral, there are many museums, many festivals happening every year, many parks to enjoy and all together it is a very beautiful place to explore.

Things to see and do

The best way to visit the ancient streets of Chartres is on foot. The perfect place to start is the tourist office which is in Maison du Saumon, or “Salmon House” in English. It is located on Place de la Poissonnerie “Fishmongers’ Square.” This four-storey cantilevered house, with diamond pattern timber framing. Note the impressive wall carvings from when the house was built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Pick up a map of the town and start exploring its charm.

Stroll the historic city center that lies in the narrow streets and alleys around the cathedral. The oldest part of the area is in the upper town, near the cathedral. Take note of the quaint little street of Rue des Ecuyers (equerries street) with its iron lanterns and half-timbered houses every few steps.

The first stop for most visitors is the Chartres Cathedral, one of the greatest masterpieces of gothic architecture, if not in France then the entire world. Built in the early 1200’s the church was consecrated by King Louis IX in 1260. Walk around the perimeter of the cathedral to appreciate the beauty of this UNESCO site, take note of the intact stained glass windows, the romanesque sculpted portals, towers and flying buttresses. Climb the north bell-tower at 230-ft., solve the pilgrims’ labyrinth, and explore the 200 sculpted figures depicting the lives of Christ and the Virgin around the choir. The cathedral became a magnet for French pilgrims passing through the area because they were able to view an important religious artifact, the tunic believed to have been worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ’s birth.

Take a guided tour of the Cathedral. The tour is given at 12 noon and 2:45pm every day and lasts 90 minutes. The cost is around 10 euros for adults and 5 euros for children.

Aside from the Cathedral, there are more than a dozen churches in the town and close by. They date to between the 11th and 17th centuries and details are available from the tourist office. If you love visiting ancient churches, you’re going to be very happy here!

One of the most interesting buildings in Chartres is the 13th century Miason Canoniale opposite the cathedral. Look up and you’ll see ornate carvings showing vines, fighting and gambling followed by hell and dragons breathing fire. It was designed to be a sobering message for pilgrims of years gone, a warning of the dangers of drinking too much!

The International Stained-Glass center is the only one of its kind in France. The center is just a few steps from the cathedral, in a compelling building of its own: The Grange aux Dîmes is a 13th-century barn, listed as a “Monument Historique”. You can get up close to ancient panels of stained glass, join in workshops and discover the history of stained-glass.

There are a couple of interesting museums in the town centre: the Agriculture Museum and the Museum of Natural Science and Prehistory. They both offer a variety of exhibits and a selection of events are available with a focus on educating children.

Just outside of town, explore the Maison Picassiette, a unique cottage from the 1930s with a fascinating story. From the 1930s to 1962 the cemetery sweeper Raymonde Isidore built this simple, three-roomed house for himself and his family. The home is decorated with thousands of remnants of glass shards, bottle caps, and broken bits. So every surface is a mosaic, many with an amazing level of talent and skill. The mosaic decor took over some 29,000 hours to build by the owner, Isidore, and Maison Picassiette is now considered a shining example of naive architecture.

The backyard sculpture garden of Maison Picassiette is the highlight of the house. A series of wall sculptures include mosaic replicas of the Eiffel Tower, an ancient windmill and the rose stained glass window of Our Lady of Chartres.

Shopping and Specialties

No visit to Chartres would be complete without a taste of the gourmet treats for which the town is famous for. Try the mentchikoffs - praline chocolate sweets covered with Swiss meringue. This recipe was created in the 19th century at the time of the Franco-Russian alliance. Chartres also produces delicious almond macaroons with a seemingly endless assortment of fillings and colors. Both Mentchikoffs and macaroons make perfect gifts to bring home.There is an amazing macaroon store at the south end of the main town square, and the pedestrian-only streets heading to the west from the town square have many excellent patisseries and boulangeries.

Chartres has many shops selling religious items. Most are located to the north of the cathedral, or along the streets between the cathedral and the train station. There are many antique shops to discover, the best ones can be found around the Rue de la Porte Guillaume, Rue des Changes and Boulevard Chasles.

There are food markets on Place Billard near the Cathedral in the center of Chartres. From 7am to 1pm on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the market is buzzing with stalls piled high with delicious local produce and items to buy, great for buying gifts and souvenirs. Also, there is an organic market held here on Wednesday evenings, worth a visit if you are in town! If you happen to be in Chartres in December, stop by the Christmas market in the Place des Epars.

Chartres in Lights

For over a decade Chartres has hosted a captivating light show in its historic center, which is now the second-largest tourist draw in Chartres after the cathedral. This runs just after dark from April to October, when over 25 of the city’s monuments, including bridges, the cathedral and Episcopal Palace become the canvas for spellbinding projections accompanied by music. Of course, Our Lady of Chartres is magnificently lit up with a live soundtrack playing. There’s a mini-train, which travels the route of the light show attractions and departs from across the plaza of the cathedral. The city provides numbered maps and embeds small, colored lights in the ground to guide visitors to the light show stops. There is also an app that can be downloaded on your phone that you can follow on your own time.