A worthwhile day trip out of Paris is to the historic town of Chartres and its impressive UNESCO World-Heritage Listed Notre Dame Cathedral.
Camera in hand, I boarded the train at Paris Montparnasse with my parents (who are visiting for a few days as part of a European holiday they had taken). An hour and a quarter later, after passing through quaint little towns bursting with spring blossoms, the unmistakable cathedral spires came into view as the train pulled into Chartres.
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A Romanesque cathedral once stood on this site, but it was largely destroyed during a fire in 1194. The cathedral was rebuilt in a mere 30 years during the 13th century in Gothic style. The resultant structure is thus a blend of the two architectural styles, the most obvious discrepancy being evident in the two spires.
The western facade and crypt (which you can visit for a small fee – although it does not contain any tombs) date from the original cathedral, as does the Old Bell Tower (Clocher Vieux). At 105 metres, it is the tallest Romanesque steeple still standing. You can climb the New Bell Tower/North Tower (Clocher Neuf) for 7.50 euros if you’re feeling energetic (300+ steps), we didn’t as the weather and thus visibility was not favourable to make the effort worthwhile!
Aside from the imposing spires, the two features that stand out when you view the cathedral are the intricate carvings surrounding the exterior, and the stained glass windows you can admire on the inside: 172 in all!
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Allow some time to do a full circuit of the exterior to view the amazing carvings that depict Christian figures and scenes. The west entrance (Portail Royal) pre-dates the fire, with the carvings here created from 1145 to 1155. Considering their age, they are remarkably well preserved.
The stained glass windows were created during the 12th and 13th centuries. They are particularly famous for the shade of blue in the older windows that was created using cobalt oxide, and is referred to as “Chartres blue”. The darkness inside the cathedral helps accentuate the details and craftsmanship evident in the windows. My photos are only hand-held (I don’t have a tripod as yet with me over here), but some have turned out quite well as examples of the scenes depicted in the windows.
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If you are interested in a more detailed overview of the history and features of the cathedral, you can join a tour in French or English, or rent an audioguide from the cathedral bookshop.
Be sure to visit the Tourist Office while you are in Chartres to get a map of the town with a route of the historic walk you can do. Allow up to an hour and a half to meander down the cobbled streets, admire the half-timbered houses, and take in the quaint vistas along the river Eure looking back up to the cathedral.
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Other parts of the town itself are also worth a wander, and take the time to enjoy a break in one of the patisseries, or sample some of the locally made chocolates. Macaroons aplenty are on offer at La Chocoleterie at Place du Cygne, they even have a nutella variety!
The Chartres Guide Book you can pick up from the Tourist Office outlines other museums and points of interest you can also explore in the town if you wish, and the Lonely Planet France also has a good description of places of interest and notable historic buildings.
If you are staying here overnight or don’t mind a late train ride back to Paris, from April to September twenty-nine of the city’s historic buildings are lit up with coloured lights to the sounds of music after nightfall (Chartres en Lumieres). Unfortunately it started raining mid-afternoon during our visit, and considering it doesn’t get dark until around 9.30pm, we did not stay to see this display.
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I also discovered that Chartres is considered the “heart of the Cosmetic Valley”, being home to famous brand names such as Calvin Klein, Guerlain and Davidoff. So shop to your hearts’ content and watch the years melt away! 😉
But for us, the main focus of our visit was the cathedral; the historic walk; and an afternoon macaroon and hot chocolate; after which we returned to Paris with memory cards bulging with hundreds of photos to sort through!
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