Loricat's Reviews

A necessary day trip from Paris

If you like Gothic architecture, & cathedrals, Notre Dame de Chartres is the definitive stop on your tour. It’s world famous for its almost complete collection of 12thC stained glass. Arriving in town by train is like going back to the middle ages – with the Cathedral rising above the roofs. Inside, it is dark and chilly, almost completely dependent on the light filtering in through the glass, truly bringing you back to an earlier time. Meditate on the meaning of the images on the glass or around the ambulatory. Sit and rest, imagining life 800 years ago. Climb the East tower to see the town and surrounding fields. All of this without the hoards of tourists in Paris.

Reviewed on: December 19, 2006