Things To Do In Chartres
The Rev. Jill K H Geoffrion, Ph.D.
Portrait © Marilyn Larsen
Ateliers Loire
(Worshops and Garden Exhibitions of Stained Glass)
16, rue d'Ouarville 28003 Lèvres
Telephone: 02 37 21 20 71
Website: www.loire.vitrail.fr
This atelier and garden museum is just 2 kilometers from Chartres. It is well worth a visit! There are organized tours on Fridays from 2:00-5:00 pm, but individual visitors are welcomed almost any time. Some of the large pieces on display are for sale.
Boat Rides on the Eure
La Petite Venise-Promenade sur l'Eure
Pont de la Courtille, Par des Bords de l'Eure
Telephone: 02 37 91 03 65
Open 7 days a week from 10:30 am to 8:00 pm from April to October.
You can rent a row boat or paddle boat and enjoy being on the water. Canoes and kayaks are also available for rent.
Centre International du Vitrail (Internation Center of Stained Glass)
5, rue du Cardinal Pie 28000 Chartres
Telephone: 02 37 21 65 72
Email: contact@centre-vitrail.org
Close to the cathedral, this center is housed in a beautifully restored Medieval storehouse. You can learn more about ancient and modern stained glass here. The exhibit of smaller sized replicas of many windows from the Chartres Cathedral is amazing. You can study each detail of over 30 of the windows at close range. Each major element of each window is briefly described in French. There is usually a special exhibit showing. Don't miss the vaulted lower floor, a medieval wonder in itself! A wide selection of books (mostly in French) is another plus!
M-F 9h30-12:30; 1:30-6:00 pm
Weekends and bank holidays: 10:00 am-12:30 and 2:30-6:30pm
Église St. Aignan (St. Aignan's Church)
1, bis, tetre Saint Aignan
Open every day from 8h30 to 12h00 and 14h00-18h00
Mass everyday at 9h00 preceded at 8h45 by Lauds. There is also a mass on Sunday
at 10h30 (from All Saints (Oct. 31) until Lent).
The church has beautiful sixteenth and seventeeth century stained glass windows.
Église St. Pierre (St. Peter's Church)
29, rue St. Pierre
Telephone: 02 37 34 26 95
Down the hill from the cathedral is the Église St. Pierre (St. Peter's Church). It was once a Benedictine monastery. It's history goes back at least to the 7th century. Explanations about the history and collections of the church are available on site in many languages, including English. There are wonderful displays in the bell tower as well. The church has a wonderful collection of medieval stained glass. It is an inviting space for quiet reflection and prayer.
The church has limited hours for visiting. In 2009: 14h00-16h00 Monday to Saturday and the first Sunday of the Month. There is a weekly mass in the church on Sunday mornings (from Lent to All Saints) as well.
Fountains at Place des Épars
On warm days it's fun to watch the children play in the fountains here. They really enjoy themselves! (You might too!)
Horticultural Garden (Jardin de l'Horticulture)
If you need a little peace and quiet this garden is the place to go! It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the cathedral. The Tourist Office can give you a map and show you the way.
Lumières: Light Shows
The town of Chartres illuminates 17 different sites each night between mid-April and mid-September. The light shows begin after sunset and continue until 0h30 in the morning. Sites for 2007 include: the west face of the cathedral, the north porch of the cathedral, the garden of the l'Eveché, la collegiale Saint André, la rue des Écuyers, St. Pierre church, St. Aignan church, l'hôtel Montescot, la Halle aux grains place des Halles, la place Marceau, la place Cygne, la place Billard, les portes des bordes de l'Eure, les lavoirs of the Eure. There is information (in several languages)at each site about where to go next. For those who can't walk, the Petit Train visits the sites on Friday and Saturday nights in July and August. In Septemeber there is a Festival of Light during the last weekend the lumières are shown.
Questions can be directed to Animation de la Ville 02 37 18 47 60.
Maison de L'Archéologie
1, rue de l'Étroit Degré 28000 Chartres
Email: archeo@ville-chartres.fr
Between October 1- June 30: Wednesday and Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.
From July 1-September 30: Every day except Tuesday from 2:00 to 6:00 pm
Closed from December 19th to January 8th and various holidays.
Price E1, 50. Free under 18, students, archeologists, school group tour leaders, disabled people, and the unemployed.
Price for groups of 10 or more: E 1,00 each.
Located near the cathedral, this Archeology museum offers exhibits featuring local sites.
22. rue du Repos 28000 Chartres
Telephone: 02 37 34 10 78
This home and yard are covered by small pieces of broken pottery that the owner, Raymond Isodore, collected and assembled throughout his life. It can't be described, you just have to go experience it for yourself!
Check at the Tourist Office for directions.
Open from April 1-November 30.
April hours: 10:00 am-12:00 pm & 2:00 pm-5:00 pm.
From May 2: hours: 10:00 am-12:00 pm & 2:00 pm-6:00 pm.
Markets
Food Market: Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Place Billard, close to the cathedral down Rue des Changes.
Flower Market: Tuesday, Thurdays, and Saturdays. Place du Cygne.
Christmas Market: During December. Place des Épars.
Flea Markets are often held on Saturday mornings along the Butte des Charbonniers.
Maze
Behind the cathedral is a lovely park. On the south side down on the lowest level is a maze. It's sunny in the mornings, shaded in the afternoons. If you are in Chartres during the season when the Lumières are showing at night, visit the maze after dark to see it lit.
Musée des Beaux -Arts (Fine Arts Museum)
29, Cloitre Notre-Dame 28000 Chartres
Telephone: 02 37 90 45 80
Located in the former Bishop's Palace, this museum houses a modest collection which includes works by Zubaran, Chardin, Vlaminck and Soutine. I enjoyed the views out the windows and the former chapel, especially its beautiful floor. There are a number of books on sale that relate to the cathedral.
Open everyday except Tuesdays and Sunday mornings. 10:00-12:00 & 2:00-5:00 PM. You can buy a combined ticket with Maison Picassiette. Admission is included in the Chartres Pass.
Park with a mini-zoo: Parc des Bords de l'Eure
Along the river there is a wonderful little park where many families go.
There is a mini-zoo with an aviary.
There is also a miniature golf course (all cement) and row boats as well as paddleboats for rent. For information about hours, you can ask at theTourist Office.
Spiritual Excursions In and Around Chartres
Information about visiting Fulbert's resting place, Église St. Martin-Au-Val, Bechères-les-Pierres (where the stone for Chartres was quarried, and more...
Tours
Tourist Office.
02 37 18 26 26 From the US: 011-33 2 37 18 26 26
The Tourist Office offers Thematic Visits in French throughout the year. Tours cost around 5 Euros (2009) and last one and a half hours. Reservations are requested. If less than 5 people sign up, the tour may be cancelled.
Occassional tours are offered for children.
Tour of the Old Town on the Little Train (Le Petit Train de Chartres)
Telephone: 02 37 25 88 50; Fax 02 37 25 88 70. Email: lepetitchartrain@wanadoo.fr
Reservations are required for groups.
Taking the Little Train will give you a good overview of both the cathedral area and the lower "Old Town" of Chartres. Let the driver know that you would like to have commentary in English.
Cost (2007) is E5,50 for adults and E3,50 for children. The train runs every 45 mins. from the end of March until the beginning of November starting at 10:30 in the morning. It takes approximately 35 minutes.
Visiting the "Old Town" with an Audio Guide
Audioguides are available at the Toursit Office. They will guide you through the old part of Chartres, its streets, tetres, and bridges for an hour and a half.
For more information contact the Tourist Office.
02 37 18 26 26 From the US: 011-33 2 37 18 26 26
There are many wonderful places to walk in Chartres and in the surrounding countryside.
Yoga In Chartres
The Tourism Office can provide you with a current listing of yoga studios in Chartres. There are several places where yoga classes are offered.