Chartres Cathedral: The age of faith in stone and stained glass
It's a different experience once darkness falls. In the 13th and 14th centuries, Europe's wonderful Gothic church facades were boldly painted. "Chartres en Lumieres," a nighttime sound-and-light show (April through September), helps re-create how the cathedral's facades might have looked with colorful statuary. A path of lights guides the way to two dozen "scenographies" all over town.
Day or night, a pilgrimage to Chartres leaves me wonderstruck by its cathedral spires and stained glass -- and awestruck by the devotion of its medieval faithful.
IF YOU VISIT...
SLEEPING: Comfy, family-friendly Timhotel Chartres Cathedral has many rooms with partial cathedral views (moderate, www.timhotel.com). At the foot of the cathedral, Hotellerie Saint Yves offers spic-and-span rooms on the site of an old priory (budget, www.maison-st-yves.com).
EATING: Cafe Bleu serves classic French cuisine on a close-up cathedral-view terrace (1 Cloitre Notre-Dame, tel. 02 37 36 59 60). Le Pichet 3, with local products and a good selection, makes a fun lunch stop (19 Rue du Cheval Blanc, tel. 02 37 21 08 35).
GETTING AROUND: It's a 10-minute walk from the train station to the cathedral, and a free minibus runs between tourist sites every 15 to 20 minutes. During Chartres en Lumieres, a tourist train offers 30-minute tours of the floodlit sites for about $7.
TOURIST INFORMATION: www.chartres-tourisme.com.
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(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
(c)2017 RICK STEVES DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
