Chartres Cathedral, France

World / France / World Heritage Sites
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Chartres Cathedral, or Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartes, is a French Gothic cathedral in the city of Chartres in France. Construction began in 1145. In 1194 fire destroyed much of the building, necessitating a reconstruction that continued over a 26-year period.

Chartes Cathedral, France
Author: MathKnight (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

Chartres Cathedral has magnificent stained glas windows from the 12th and 13th centuries which are stil in remarkably good condition. The porches are adorned with exquisite sculptures from the mid 12th century. Together, the architectural features make Chartres Cathedral truly a masterpiece of French Gothic art.

Chartres Cathedral was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 3rd session of the World Heritage Committee which met in Cairo and Luxor, Egypt, on 22 - 26 October, 1979.

Interior of Chartes Cathedral
Author: Harmonia Amanda (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 48 26 51 E 1 29 14 in the Department of Eure-et-Loire, Centre Region
Core zone covers 1.06 hectares, buffer zone covers 62.41 hectares.
Inscription Year: 1979
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, IV

Chartes Cathedral at night
Author: GIRAUD Patrick (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)

Visiting Chartres Cathedral

By Road
You can reach Chartes from Paris by taking the A10 followed by the A11. Total driving distance is 91 km (57 miles)

By Train
Trains leave Paris Montparnasse to Chartes several times a day. The journey takes about an hour and costs €36.20 1st class and €24.20 2nd class. Price also depends of when your ticket is bought - the earlier you purchase it, the lower it will cost.

Once you arrive at Chartes, it would be impossible to miss its cathedral.

Preparing for your trip

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