Things to do in Chartres
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Cathédrale Notre Dame de Chartres
The 130m-long Cathédrale Notre Dame de Chartres, one of the crowning architectural achievements of Western civilisation, was built in the Gothic style during the first quarter of the 13th century to replace a Romanesque cathedral that had been devastated by fire – along with much of the town – in 1194. Because of effective fund-raising and donated labour, construction took only 30 years, resulting in a high degree of architectural unity. It is France's best-preserved medieval cathedral, having been spared postmedieval modifications, the ravages of war and the Reign of Terror.
The cathedral's west, north and south entrances have superbly ornamented triple portals, but …
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Crypt
The Cathédrale Notre Dame's 110m-long crypt, a tombless Romanesque structure built in 1024 around a 9th-century predecessor, is the largest crypt in France. Guided tours in French (with written English translation) lasting 30 minutes are available year-round. Guided tours of the crypt from April to October depart from La Crypte (Tel: 02 37 21 56 33; 18 Cloître Notre Dame; Apr-Oct), the cathedral-run souvenir shop to the south-east. From November to March, tours depart from the gift shop inside the cathedral under the North Tower.
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Collégiale St-André
Chartres' meticulously preserved old city is northeast and east of the cathedral along the narrow western channel of the River Eure, which is spanned by a number of footbridges. From rue Cardinal Pie, the stairway called Tertre St-Nicolas and rue Chantault - the latter lined with medieval houses - lead down to the empty shell of the 12th-century Collégiale St-André, a Romanesque collegiate church closed in 1791 and severely damaged in the early 19th century and again in 1944.
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Église St-Pierre
From place St-Pierre, you get a good view of the flying buttresses holding up the 12th- and 13th-century Église St-Pierre. Once part of a Benedictine monastery founded in the 7th century, it was outside the city walls and thus vulnerable to attack; the fortress-like, pre-Romanesque bell tower attached to it was used as a refuge by monks and dates from around 1000. The fine, brightly coloured clerestory windows in the nave, choir and apse date from the early 14th century.
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Clocher Neuf
A visit to the 112m-high Clocher Neuf, which is also known as the Tour Nord (North Tower), is worth the ticket price and steep climb up the spiral stairway. Access is just behind the cathedral bookshop. A 70m-high platform on the flamboyant Gothic spire, built from 1507 to 1513 by Jehan de Beauce after an earlier wooden spire burned down, affords superb views of the three-tiered flying buttresses and the 19th-century copper roof, turned green by verdigris.
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rue des Écuyers
Half a block down the hill from Rue aux Juifs there's a riverside promenade and up the hill rue des Écuyers has many structures dating from around the 16th century, including a half-timbered, prow-shaped house at No 26, with its upper section supported by beams. At No 35 is the Escalier de la Reine Berthe (Queen Bertha's Staircase), a tower-like covered stairwell clinging to a half-timbered house that dates back to the early 16th century.
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Rue du Bourg and rue de la Poissonnerie
Rue du Bourg and rue de la Poissonnerie also have some old half-timbered houses; on the latter, look for the magnificent Maison du Saumon (Salmon House), also known as the Maison de la Truie qui File (House of the Spinning Sow), at No 10-12 with its carved consoles of the Angel Gabriel and Mary, Michael the Archangel slaying the dragon and, of course, the eponymous salmon. It is now a restaurant.
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La Crypte
The cathedral’s 110m-long crypt, a tombless Romanesque structure built in 1024 around a 9th-century predecessor, is the largest crypt in France. Summertime guided tours of the crypt (in French with written English translation) depart from La Crypte, the cathedral-run souvenir shop. From November to March, tours depart from the shop inside the cathedral.
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Musée des Beaux-Arts
Chartres’ Musée des Beaux-Arts, accessed via the gate next to Cathédrale Notre Dame's north portal, is in the former Palais Épiscopal (Bishop’s Palace), built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its collections include 16th-century enamels of the Apostles made for François I, paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries and poly-chromatic wooden sculptures from the Middle Ages.
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La Chocolaterie
Revel in local life at this bar-cum-chocolate-shop overlooking the open-air flower market in place du Cygne. Its coloured macaroons – flavoured with orange, apricot, pistachio, peanut, pineapple and so – are to die for, as are its sweet homemade crêpes, brownies and tiny madeleine sponge cakes.
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Maison du Saumon et de la Truie Qui File
Inhabiting Chartres’ most photographed half-timbered building, this medieval landmark cooks up a bit of everything, ranging from Polish stuffed cabbage rolls and Hungarian ghoulash to Alsatian sauerkraut and Moroccan tajines (€18.50). Kids get roast chicken and veg in their menu (€9).
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Église St-Aignan
Église St-Aignan, first built in the early 16th century, is interesting for its wooden barrel-vault roof (1625), arcaded nave and painted interior of faded blue and gold floral motifs (c 1870). The stained glass and the Renaissance Chapelle de St-Michel date from the 16th century.
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Le Serpente
Its location bang-slap opposite the cathedral ensures that this atmospheric brasserie and salon de thé (tearoom) is always full. Cuisine is traditional, and its chef also constructs well-filled sandwiches (€3.90 to €6) and meal-sized salads (€12.50).
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Le Bistro de la Cathédrale
Our favourite in the shadow of the cathedral, this stylish bistro/wine bar is the place for a long lazy lunch over a glass or three of wine. Tasty morsels to soak it up are chalked on the boards inside and out.
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Rue de la Tannerie
Rue de la Tannerie and its extension rue de la Foulerie along the river's east bank are lined with flower gardens, mill races and the restored remnants of riverside trades: wash houses, tanneries and the like.
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Le Petit Chart’ Train
Le Petit Chart’ Train, Chartres’ electric tourist train, covers the main sights in 35 minutes; it departs from in front of the tourist office.
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Covered Market
There are a lot of food shops surrounding the covered market, just off rue des Changes south of the cathedral. The market itself dates from the early 20th century.
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Centre International du Vitrail
Nip into the Centre International du Vitrail, in a half-timbered former granary, to see stained glass close up.
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Le Grill Pélagie
This is a popular place specialising in grills and Tex-Mex dishes such as guacamole and quesadillas and fajitas.
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audioguide tours
English-language audioguide tours with three different themes can be hired from the cathedral bookshop.
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Malcolm Miller
Excellent 1½-hour English-language guided tours are conducted by Chartres expert Malcolm Miller.
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Le Tripot
This wonderful little place just down from the cathedral is one of the best bistros in Chartres.
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Monoprix
The Monoprix department store with two entrances has a supermarket on the ground floor.
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Old City
Chartres' meticulously preserved old city is northeast and east of the cathedral along the narrow western channel of the River Eure, which is spanned by a number of footbridges. From rue Cardinal Pie, the stairways called Tertre St-Nicolas and rue Chantault – the latter lined with medieval houses (number 29 is the oldest house in Chartres) – lead down to the empty shell of the 12th-century Collégiale St-André, a Romanesque collegiate church closed in 1791 and severely damaged in the early 19th century and again in 1944. It is now an exhibition centre.
Along the river's eastern bank, rue de la Tannerie and its extension rue de la Foulerie are lined with flower gardens…
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