Chartres Cathedral

Gothic Cathedral Rebuilt After The Fire Of 1194, Famous For Its Near Complete Medieval Stained Glass; UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1979 · Chartres, Centre-Val de Loire

Chartres Cathedral rises out of the flat wheat plain of the Beauce, about an hour south west of Paris, and its two spires are visible from far across the fields. Most of the church was rebuilt quickly after a fire in 1194, which is why it is unusually unified in style, and it keeps more of its original medieval stained glass than almost any other cathedral, with the deep Chartres blue that people travel to see. The west front, the Royal Portal, survived the fire and is older, with carved figures from the twelfth century. The two spires do not match: one is plain Romanesque, the other a lacy late Gothic addition. On the floor of the nave is a medieval labyrinth that pilgrims still walk on the days the chairs are cleared. A long restoration has cleaned the interior back to a pale painted finish, which some admire and others find too bright. The cathedral also holds the Sancta Camisa, a relic venerated as the veil of the Virgin. Chartres is an easy day trip from Paris by train, and the old town slopes down to the river Eure below it.

16 Cloître Notre-Dame, 28000 Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, Chartres, Centre-Val de Loire, France

The cathedral is a working church and usually opens every day of the year, from early morning into the evening, with free entry to the nave. Visits pause or are restricted during Masses, funerals and major feasts, when you may be asked to stay at the back or wait, so check the service times first, especially on Sundays and church holidays. The labyrinth is covered by chairs most of the time and is usually uncovered only on certain days, typically Fridays from about Lent to the autumn (confirm). The north tower climb is run separately as a ticketed visit with its own hours, shorter in winter, and closes in bad weather. The crypt can only be seen on a guided visit at set times, sold at the shop by the cathedral, and not every day in the low season. Parts of the building may be screened off for restoration work. Chartres en Lumières, the evening light show on the cathedral and other monuments, runs from roughly spring to early January after dark (confirm the season and dates).

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