Filed under: cathedral, city, day trip, religion, top-feature
Paris Day Tripping: Chartres
Made your way through most of Paris’s museums? Looking to get out of the city and see something new? Then I’d like to suggest Chartres (map), a popular tourist spot but often overlooked or forgotten in the rush to make it to the next Parisian cafe or art gallery. Here’s an overview of how you can get there, and why you should go.
Chartres Cathedral. Stunning.
Chartres Cathedral
The cathedral (map) really is the center of attention in Chartres – you can’t miss it, and you won’t want to, as there is plenty to see and do here in this massive building. The official name is La cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A few of the highlights you’ll find inside:
- Stained Glass: These windows are in exceptionally good condition, particularly since many great windows of a similar nature were destroyed in WWII. (These survived because they were taken down and hidden.) They are larger than normal because of the church’s design that pushes a lot of the building’s weight out onto the flying buttresses, those exterior columns jutting out to the sides (see below).
- Iconography: Just walking through the church and noting the many carvings and statues is a veritable lesson in France’s religious history. Stop and look. Linger.
- The Labyrinth: On the floor of the nave you’ll find a strange, mathematical looking space that is the labyrinth. For centuries, Chartres has been a spot that pilgrims have come to walk the labyrinth, which is said to bring spiritual awareness. Perhaps try it yourself and see what you find?
The exterior of the cathedral has remained unchanged since it was built nearly 800 years ago, but an interesting fact of trivia: the two towers of the cathedral are not identical, or even similar. One tower burnt down and was replaced in the 16th century with the style of the time. I think it adds character. You can climb the north tower for spectacular views on a clear day.
Town Walk
The cathedral is the big attraction but is not the only thing to see. I’d suggest you have a long walk around Chartres itself – it’s a very old town and has changed little in some ways, which really can be a joy to experience. A great place to start is the Eure River, where you can walk along the bank. It’s peaceful and a great place to reflect on France, a world apart from busy Paris where you left this morning. Maybe grab a pastry at once of Chartres’ many bakeries and a coffee and head down here for a sit, if the weather is suitable.
There are a number of old timber houses as well – perhaps the best examples of this architecture in all of France. The tourist information center, by the railway station, has maps and can point you towards some of the more noteworthy ones, such as the Salmon House.
Lastly, I cannot more highly recommend La Maison Picassiette – it’s a house covered by mosaic tiles, which were all done by one man. (It reminds me of a similar structure in Los Angeles – the Watts Towers – but those were by an Italian immigrant.) It’s hard to believe one person could have built such an enormous structure, one little mosaic piece at a time. It’s almost as impressive as the cathedral, but in an entirely different way.
Don’t forget to have at least lunch or dinner here in Chartres before your return to Paris. The town has some terrific cafes and restaurants and tourist-friendly service, as the religious pilgrims who visit come from all over the globe.
How to Get There
Paris is the transportation hub of the country, so it is very easy to get pretty much anywhere, Chartres included. Chartes is on an express high speed rail line run by SCNF. If you want to buy tickets online beforehand (and you don’t speak French), one English website that I’ve used is Rail Europe. You can buy tickets on the day of travel, too, but please give yourself plenty of time – I’ve seen some seriously long queues in the station and you don’t want to miss a train if you’re wanting to have a full day in Chartres.
The train you’ll be taking is a TER train – Transport Express Regional. Depending on your Paris accommodation, you’ll need to take the metro over to Gare Montparnasse (map) – I’m linking specifically to the Wikipedia page because it has some great information (in English) on transfers.
Your train to Chartres might terminate in Chartres, or it may continue on to Le Mans. So don’t be concerned, but just be sure it’s going to stop in Chartres before it departs, as a TGV bullet train is kind of hard to stop!
Photo Credit: Joe Shlabotnik, stevecadman, Wikimedia
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