The cathedral of Notre-Dame in Chartres
If you have never been to Chartres, it is time to plan your visit and discover the cathedral just as the builders saw it on its completion. The light inside the building is quite simply ASTOUNDING !
The famous cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site
If you have never been to Chartres, it is time to plan your visit and discover the cathedral just as the builders saw it on its completion. The light inside the building is quite simply ASTOUNDING !
The town of Chartres is a lovely place to visit with your partner or all the family. Explore its medieval streets with picturesque names, discover the old houses and winding narrow lanes of the Lower Town beside the River Eure. Enjoy delicious local speciality foods at pavement cafés in the town centre or beside the river. Whether you come by bike, car or train, a stopover of several days will give you time to discover the rich history of Chartres : its historic buildings, museums, master glassmakers and a full programme of events.
Sight-seeing in Chartres
- There are several B&Bs and City Break rentals right in the town centre so you can enjoy your stay to the full. You cannot possibly leave Chartres without seeing or visiting :
- The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, which has just undergone a 15-year renovation programme.
- ‘Chartres en lumières’ (Chartres in the spotlight) in which 24 sites are illuminated every evening from mid-April to early October.
- The ancestral skills of Master stained-glassmakers
- Old medieval streets, the Lower Town beside the River Eure
- The totally refurbished town centre
Another way to explore Chartres : by bike.The town has numerous cycle routes and a ‘green plan’ has been put together offering an alternative way to discover the town and to access typical little streets.
« Chartres during the tourist season is a real Tower of Babel : there are lots of foreign tourists from Asia, North America and all over Europe. It’s lovely to be able to talk to these history and architecture enthusiasts and see their eyes light up as they discover the treasures of our town. In the evening, I often take time to have a drink with my guests and tell them the history of the town and the building of the cathedral. This often makes them want to see more : they come to visit the cathedral and they go away having explored the whole town.» André B., B&B owner in the centre of Chartres.
How to get to Chartres
By road : from Paris, via Autoroute A11 in less than 1 hour.
From the north of France, Normandy or the Châteaux de la Loire, different RN roads and autoroutes lead to Chartres.
By rail : From Paris-Montparnasse station to Chartres takes 1 hour.
By bike : for intrepid cyclists, Chartres is on the Véloscénie cycle route which runs from Paris to Mont Saint Michel. Paris to Chartres can be done in different stages, or from Chartres going westwards.
Visit Eure-et-Loir : Vallée Royale de l'Eure and the Perche en Eure-et-Loir"
Our selection of accommodations
Lodging
Grand gîte de Chartres
in Meslay-le-Grenet - Eure-et-Loir
Our new accommodations
Lodging
La Grange Flor'Alie
in Meslay-le-Grenet - Eure-et-Loir
