CHARTRES - French City in Which Mary Magdalene's Actual Veil is Kept (Day Trip from Paris)

Chartres.

A city known for its famous gothic cathedral, which houses an actual piece of the veil that Mary Magdalene wore (Sancta Camisa). A city also known for the state of its cathedral that somehow survived many fire outbreaks and the 1944 bombings that destroyed many of the surrounding old town. A UNESCO heritage site, Chartres Cathedral itself is well worth a visit. However, that attraction is not the only thing this quaint but pretty French town offers.

I confess, I only visited Chartres because I acted on a whim I had at 3 a.m. that very day: I wanted to travel somewhere! But it was the day before so everything was so expensive! How could I ever follow my follies during the wee hours of the morning that wouldn’t break the bank?

The answer: Chartres!

Any city with its own #sign should be seen as cool, that’s a fact!

The cathedral in Chartres is magnificent. As an aficionado of gothic architecture, I was incredibly happy to spend a good hour wandering around it’s perimeter, and it’s interior. I also paid a small fee (I think it was 3 euros) to take a guided tour of the Cathedral in order to gain access to the basement and lower, locked off areas.

One thing before I begin, however…

Don’t make the mistake I did and visit on a Monday.
Fun fact about small French towns: Things tend to be closed on Mondays.
This is not a drill; this is me saving you a seemingly cheap train ticket to another city only to realize nothing was open that day!
(However I did enjoy my trip despite this)

Anyways…

There are four magnificent parts to Chartres I want to highlight: The cathedral, the ramparts, the architecture, and the food.

1. The Cathedral:

Below are photos depicting the exterior of the cathedral, with many gothic architectural elements:

Many Christian pilgrims today still visit Chartres in order to get a glimpse of the Sancta Camisa.

Below are some photos of the cathedral’s impressive, and mostly intact, stained glass windows:

2. The ramparts

A famous painting by Henri-Joseph Harpignies depicting the view of Chartres from the ramparts is currently held by the MET museum. If that doesn’t vouch for it’s beauty, I’m not sure what else does.

Except maybe some pictures to see for yourself? Let’s try:

I wrote many a poem next to those wonderful willow trees. It was kind of nice visiting on a day without many people, as I was able to enjoy the blue sky, the birdsong, and the constant lull of the river without any distractions.

Sometimes, it really is worth it to take some time to disconnect from our hectic lives, and just enjoy the natural beauty that can be found if we know where to look.

The architecture

Some of the buildings in Chartres have been around since the 12th century, so it is no wonder that the town has some intriguing and beautiful architecture upon which to gaze.

Here are a few of my favourites:

I really enjoyed seeing all the detailed doorways leading to courtyards, and tiny streets built for carriages that seldom fit a car. It’s definitely a walking town!

The Food

There were two places that helped fuel my day-trip to Chartres. Both were fabulous, and worth a mention: La Macaronnerie and Le Parvis.

Le Parvis was a lovely little café/ bistro serving French foods and wines. It also had a great wine cellar. I ordered a salade niçoise, and although they didn’t have all the ingredients available, the chef did whip me up something with the ingredients he had on hand, and it was delicious and perfect to keep my energy up for the rest of my exploration. I also ordered a cappuccino, and while not the best of it’s kind I’ve ever had, the price was about a fraction of what I’d pay for one in Paris. Needless to say, I won’t complain! I also picked up some fantastic risotto and honey for my mum.

As well, I received very good service, and had a good chat with the server who worked there about why on earth I’d visit Chartres on a Monday, and what he recommended I do!

La Macaronnerie was a nice little macaron shop with a good variety of flavours. I sampled raspberry, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. The macarons were small, very soft on the inside, and had a nice crunch on the exterior.

How to get there

It only takes about 1 hour and 20-30 minutes to reach Chartres from Paris, so it is definitely a doable day-trip to take while you are staying in the Parisian Capital.

I bought a Return train ticket at https://en.oui.sncf/en/ (SNCF) for €15.50.

My particular train left from Paris Montparnasse and arrived at Rambouillet (the main Chartres train station).

My particular journey took 1h 22 minutes.

In the end, I am very glad that one of my 3:00 a.m. whims brought me to Chartres. It was an absolutely beautiful town, and although I visited on a day in which many things were closed, I was still able to visit the standpoint piece, the cathedral, and discover a slew of other gorgeous parts of the city (the ramparts, the architecture, the nature).

Chartres is an inexpensive and unique trip away from Paris. If spending time wandering small, picturesque streets and losing yourself amongst 12th century gothic architecture appeals to you, it is most definitely a city you will love.

I spent the day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Chartres, and that was more than enough time for me to explore it (granted, it was on a Monday when things were closed). However, I spent more time wandering and writing poetry, so I think that’s a good time frame for the average traveler.