Fodor's Expert Review Cathédrale Notre-Dame

Worship on the site of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, better known as Chartres Cathedral, goes back to before the Gallo-Roman period—the crypt contains a well that was the focus of druid ceremonies. In the late 9th century Charles II (aka "the Bald") presented Chartres with what was believed to be the tunic of the Virgin Mary, a precious relic that went on to attract hordes of pilgrims. The current cathedral, the sixth church on the spot, dates mainly to the 12th and 13th centuries and was erected after most of the previous building, dating to the 11th century, burned down in 1194. A well-chronicled outburst of religious fervor followed the discovery that the Virgin Mary's relic had miraculously survived unsinged. Motivated by this “miracle,” princes and paupers, barons and bourgeoisie gave their money and their labor to build the new cathedral. Ladies of the manor came to help monks and peasants on the scaffolding in a tremendous resurgence of religious faith that followed the Second Crusade. Just 25 years were needed for Chartres Cathedral to rise again, and although it remained substantially unchanged for centuries, a 12-year, €20 million renovation that was completed in 2018 restored the cathedral's famously gloomy interiors to their "original" creamy white, sparking a major controversy among those who embraced the dark interiors. As spiritual as Chartres is, the cathedral also had its more earthbound uses. Look closely and you can see that the main nave floor has a subtle slant. It was designed to provide drainage because this part of the church was often used as a "hostel" by thousands of overnighting pilgrims in medieval times. Those who couldn't afford the entire pilgrimage could walk the cathedral's labyrinth, one of the most beautiful and famous in the world; today it's open for visitors every Friday and for a month during Lent (on other days it is covered with chairs).

Though the windows no longer pop from the previously dark interiors, the gemlike richness of the cleaned and restored stained glass, with the famous deep Chartres blue predominating, is still a thrilling experience. The restoration also uncovered some surprising illustrations of rose windows painted high up in the north and south narthex, just inside the cathedral entrance. The Royal Portal is richly sculpted with scenes from the life of Christ—these sculpted figures are among the greatest created during the Middle Ages. The rose window above the main portal dates from the 13th century, and the three windows below it contain some of the finest examples of 12th-century stained-glass artistry in France. The oldest window is arguably the most beautiful: Notre-Dame de la Belle Verrière (Our Lady of the Lovely Window), in the south choir.

A special tour of the cathedral crypt by candlelight is given every Saturday at 9:30 pm (in French; book on the Chartres Tourism site). For a bird's-eye view, book a tour of the towers. Guided tours of the Crypte start from the Maison de la Crypte opposite the south porch; tickets can be purchased at the gift store.