Probably best known for its spectacular Gothic cathedral - Cathedral Notre-Dame - as in Paris -Chartres is popular with tourists as a day trip from the capital (1hr) and as a stopping off point on the way down to the Loire  Valley.

It is also a place of pilgrimage for Catholics as it contains the 'Sainte Voile' a piece of cloth said to be from the tunic worn by Mary when she gave birth to Jesus -- ah the power of faith!

 

As you head towards the town, the cathedral looms on the horizon for many miles as if it standing solitude in its surroundings.

 

 

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The town is the capital of the department of Eure & Loir - it is considered by some as relatively uninteresting but the community are working hard to offer a variety of attractions from music festivals to the clever nightime illumination of its streets and buildings.

 

 

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It has a very good mix of modern and ancient buildings which make walking its streets a delight. You can take a glass of wine in its modern centre before treading the cobbles of the old town with its  half-timbered houses. If you wander of the normal beaten track you can discover many delights to the eye, especially down by the river.

 

 

 

A good walk is to go down to the old gate entrance to the town then heading north for half a kilometre before turning left to the steps leading to the cathedral.

 

http://www.chartres-tourisme.com