We visited Chartres Cathedral today. Just as an FYI for anyone else thinking of doing a day-trip from Paris: Both transepts are blocked off and full of scaffolding--one of them is essentially curtained off. (The cathedral is cross-shaped--the transepts are the crossarms of the cross.) The tower is completely closed off. There is an hour long French-language guided tour (6 Euros per adult) that does go up on the roof, but not the tower. (As already mentioned in Rick Steve's latest Paris guidebook, the crypt is accessible by guided tour only--this is a different tour than the one that goes onto the roof.)
Posted by
Chicago, IL 🌭🍕
531 posts
Yeah there was quite a bit of scaffolding/construction going on there when I visited last September. The older gentleman who gave us a tour/lecture had to compete with the noise. Wonder how much longer it's going to go.
Posted by
679 posts
Jill poses a great question---might anyone have any idea when those scaffolds are supposed to come down? We are planning a fall trip there.
I have long suggested that somewhere in the Travelsphere (RS? Fodors? TA? Lonely Planet?) there should be a pinned post listing all the 'sights currently under scaffold', as a heads-up to would-be visitors.
Merci OP TL.
I am done. The end.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
394 posts
If you spend the night in Chartres, Chartres en Lumiere at the Cathedral was a lot of fun.
Posted by
679 posts
Just received this from the Cathedral PR staff, after I'd emailed them a couple days ago:
'Actuellement et encore à l’automne prochain, il y aura des échafaudages dans le transept Nord à l’intérieur de la cathédrale. Vous souhaitant déjà la bienvenue à Chartres et une très belle visite de notre cathédrale. Nous vous assurons de nos meilleurs sentiments.'
Translated:
'How dare you question our reno schedule, you Anglo scum. We will finish this task according to our own whims and as The Lord sees fit. Hmph! You probably read 'Lets Go' guidebooks and listen to Kid Rock music, when you should be reading scripture.
Go visit your MacDonalds, then go attend one of those North American 'football' matches, you BOUEF!'
Kidding. They are saying that the North Transept work will continue at least through the fall. And they send their Best regards.
I am done. The end.