Chartres is the Cathedral and the Cathedral is Chartres. – French people
The heart, symbol and protagonist of the city is the two-headed handsome Notre Dame. Chartres is also a city of lights, with the onset of darkness, 27 buildings of the city become “stages” for a multi-colored light show with musical accompaniment.
The distance to Paris is about 90 kilometers. For France climate and geography, please check TopPharmacySchools.
How to get to Chartres
TER trains leave Paris Gare Montparnasse every hour. Travel time – 1 hour 9 minutes, ticket price – from 15-24 EUR to 22-36 EUR, depending on the class.
If possible, take the double-decker train – the top level has a great view of the surroundings.
Shopping
Place Billard hosts a food market on Saturday and Wednesday mornings with produce from local farmers. At 2, rue du Soleil d’Or and 33, rue des Changes, you will find Péchés Gourmands patisseries with all kinds of handmade sweets. Crockery, jewelry, as well as products with stained glass elements can be bought at the Ateliers Picole store at 73 rue du Bourgneuf.
Weather in Chartres
Restaurants
Les Feuillantines (4, Bourg) is a small restaurant with an outdoor terrace, popular with locals (which, of course, speaks volumes about the quality of the cuisine). Located in the lower part of the old city, the landmark is an unusual house located nearby with a spiral staircase outside. In the pancake shop La Picoterie (36 rue des Changes), both adults and children will like it. In addition to pancakes with all kinds of fillings, delicious salads are prepared here.
tourist office
The information office is located on the square next to the cathedral. Here you can get a map of the city, which indicates the tourist route for about an hour and a half. On the streets, the route is duplicated by signs.
Attractions and attractions in Chartres
Chartres Cathedral
Majestic and grandiose, the cathedral has survived to this day unchanged, without suffering either during the French Revolution or during the Second World War. The interior is almost more impressive than the exterior: its main accents are a carved wall with sculptures and fantastic stained-glass windows. Sunlight, passing through their glass, creates an amazing interior lighting with a predominance of a soft blue glow, called “Chartres blue”. The cathedral is also called the glass bible, you need to “read” the stained-glass windows from the bottom up, from left to right.
In 1939, before the invasion of the German army into France, all the stained glass windows of the cathedral were dismantled and reinstalled after the end of the war. Unlike the city itself, the cathedral was not damaged by the bombing.
International Stained Glass Center and Museum of Fine Arts
The Stained Glass Center was created to study and preserve the traditions of stained glass art. Here you can not only see the masterpieces of masters, but also comprehend the basics of this beautiful craft and create a stained glass window with your own hands (however, this will take more than one day).
Address: 5, rue du Cardinal Pie. Opening hours: from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 18:00; on Saturday – from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 18:00; on Sundays and holidays – from 14:30 to 18:00. Entrance: 6.50 EUR.
The Museum of Fine Arts is located in the former episcopal palace. Address: 29 Cloitre Notre Dame. Opening hours: from Wednesday to Saturday – from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:00 (except Tuesday, Sunday morning, January 1, May 1 and 8, November 1, November 11, December 25).
“Chartres Pass” – a single ticket for visiting all city attractions, including: audio guide for the Cathedral, ticket for the International Stained Glass Center, ticket for the Museum of Fine Arts (except for temporary exhibitions), ticket for the Picassette House, audio guide for a walking tourist route, city tour on a tourist tram. The cost is 20 EUR.
House Picassette
The idea to decorate the house with mosaics came to its owner quite by accident – he was walking down the street and saw multi-colored pieces of broken glass and broken dishes. He devoted the next 25 years to his hobby, covering all the surfaces of the house with bizarre paintings with a variety of subjects (they say he drew inspiration from his dreams). According to one version, he got his nickname from Picasso assiette, which means Picasso of plates. By the way, Picasso himself visited his house.
Address: 22 rue du Repos. Opening hours: from April 1 to September 30 – daily (except Tuesday, Sunday morning, May 1 and 8) from 10:00 to 12:00, from 14:00 to 18:00, in October – on Saturdays: from 10:00: 00 to 12:00, 14:00 to 18:00, Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00.
At the end of September, the Festival of Light is held – the solemn end of the summer season.
