The main events
There are loads of events year-round, of course The Sound and Light show is the no. 1 but there’s also the quirky Henri IV weekend each February. A celebration of Henri IV, the only king to have been crowned in Chartres, in 1594, sees restaurants put on “poule au pot” menus, plus wine tastings.
When Henri IV got sick, he declared “If God allows me to live, I will make sure that there is not a single labourer in my kingdom who does not have the means to enjoy a boiled chicken on Sundays”. It’s still a popular dish more than 400 years later!
There are also wine events, music, stained glass and medieval festivals as well as flea markets, art and craft events and a grand Christmas market.
Practical information
Chartres is perfectly doable as a day trip from Paris with the train taking from 59 minutes. Chartres station is very close to the Cathedral.
Getting around in Chartres is easy - you can walk to most of the sites in Chartres, hire a bike, or jump on the free shuttle bus (Monday to Saturday), or the Flilibus network (MyBus Chartres app gives you all the bus timetables, schedules and status).
There's plenty of choice for hotels and B&Bs in Chartres. If you're looking for luxury then you won't do better than to splash out at Le Grand Monarque - pure indulgence and utterly lovely. By the way, you may see the name Grand Monarque everywhere in France, it refers to Louis XIV!
Eure-et-Loir Tourism: www.tourism28.com
Far left: Maison Picasiette; left: the elegant Chateau de Maintenon, it belonged to Madame de Maintenon, the secret wife of Louis XIV. The gardens are lovely and the chateau is beautifully furnished.