Chartres Cathedral

By moofd

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Cathedral from afar

Garden labyrinth

If you've seen Notre Dame in Paris, you need to see the Cathedral at Chartres. It's simply huge, has fewer tourists, and unlike Notre Dame, draws you back to an age when entire town's every day focused on the church (literally).

The Cathedral towers over the city of Chartres, so that from the train, your eyes are drawn to the bell towers, and the city remains an afterthought. Like Notre Dame, the Cathedral was constructed at a time when social lives revolved around the grandeur of churches, so that one could dream of a bigger better church, and the dream could become a reality. It was built in 1140, before Notre Dame in the French Gothic style. Mass still takes place daily, but it's hard to picture the number of chairs ever filling anywhere near capacity in this secular country.

Inside the Cathedral, you'll find a labyrinth etched on the floor. In the Middle Ages, people believed that by walking through a labyrinth, you center your focus and become closer to God. You get the idea. The same labyrinth is repeated outside in a well manicured garden.


Chartes is located about 50 miles outside of Paris and is accessible by train from Paris. The town itself is small and easily walkable. Because the Cathedral towers over the town, it's easy to locate.




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