Trip Planner:   Europe  /  France  /  Centre-Val de Loire  /  Eure-et-Loir  /  Chartres  /  Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral, Chartres

4.7

#1 of 39 in Things to do in Chartres

Church Tourist Spot Must See

• ©
• ©
• ©
• © +7
• ©
• ©
• ©
• ©
• ©
• ©
• ©

Considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic cathedral architecture, Chartres Cathedral still has the majority of original stained glass windows intact, while the architecture has had only minor changes since the early 13th century. Come to venerate its most famous relic, the "Sancta Camisa," alleged to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary during Christ's birth.

The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses with large the windows, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires: a 105 m (349 ft) plain pyramid completed in 1160 CE and a 113 m (377 ft) early 16th-century flamboyant spire on top of an older tower. Equally notable are the three façades, each adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes. To visit Chartres Cathedral and get the most from your holiday in Chartres, create itinerary details personal to you using our Chartres online trip planner .

more less

Create an itinerary including Chartres Cathedral

Start planning

Unable to display map at this time. Please try again later.

© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

Chartres Cathedral Reviews

Rate this attraction

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4,777 reviews

Google

4.7

facebook

5.0

166 likes

• By Gamine1949

  The sheer sense of size and the stupendous stained glass works that allow an incredible amount of natural light in make this my favourite French cathedral.  more »

• By Fred G

  Our group of travellers from Canada visited this famous cathedral at the culmination of our tour of the Loire valley. Chartres cathedral is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979. It is truly a...  more »

View more on TripAdvisor »

Google

• By Jim Free

  Incredible cathedral with great original stained glass and stone work. Stunning first century relic "Veil of the Virgin", we had no idea was there. Stop and visit ASAP!

  more less
• By Christine Kitchen

  Oh my! Where to start. This town is just so pretty, whatever time of year you visit....but in the summer is the added bonus of the wonderful light show at the Cathedral. If you are travelliing through, this is a very enjoyable stop.

  more less

View more on Google »

Places to stay near Chartres Cathedral

Plan your trip to Chartres

• Get a personalized plan

  A complete day-by-day itinerary
  based on your preferences

• Customize it

  Refine your plan. We'll find the
  best routes and schedules

• Book it

  Choose from the best hotels
  and activities. Up to 50% off

• Manage it

  Everything in one place.
  Everyone on the same page.