Chartres Cathedral Towers

I think it is only the ground floor but it has been awhile and things change. When we were there they had a massive light show on the towers.

We were there in 2013 for 2 nights and our tour guide was historian Malcolm Miller. At that time it was only the ground floor. It’s our favorite cathedral. The light show of the Cathedral facade was unforgettable.

You will always remember the fabulous stained glass windows of Chartres. There are several drone videos that fly over Chartres. Mostly the view is roof tops.

If you scroll down this link, there are public tours of the north tower, also tours of two crypts.

http://www.cathedrale-chartres.org/en/,article-494.html

Not to answer your question, but decades ago I visited Chartres Cathedral and at that time the tour included the organ. I was extremely keen to see this. However, the clerk refused to sell me a ticket because she thought my French wasn't good enough. "Vous n'allez pas comprendre le commentaire." I replied, "Mais on peut regarder, n'est-ce pas?" She shook her head and said "Non." You can imagine I was pretty burned up having traveled thousands of miles -- not to mention taking 6 months of college-level French conversation and living for a year or so with a French boyfriend -- to be treated like that.

Relatively happy ending: in 2015 my husband and I visited. There was restoration going on, I think in the towers and the organ, so no tours went to those areas. We rented the English-language audio guide from the gift shop and enjoyed seeing and learning what that audio tour covered, both inside and outside the building. One highlight was the labyrinth, which had been unknown at the time of my prior visit. As it happens, the Episcopal church near where we live has an outdoor labyrinth inspired by the one in Chartres. We would have liked to make it for one of Malcolm Miller's famed tours, but unfortunately that wasn't possible on our schedule.

Hello from Wisconsin,
I am a tower climber. Show me the tall thing in town and I go up it. But, I have never gone up either tower at Chartres. Next time.

A tour with Malcolm Miller, if he is still doing them, is worth it. But the Cathedral alone should keep a person happy for hours. When we visit Chartres we spend several days and go into the Cathedral 3 or 4 times during the day. The light changes as the day progresses. The cleaning was in an early stage last time we were there. The cathedral could be shocklngly different now. The Antiques Roadshow is always saying, "If you hadn't refinished it it would have been worth..."

The labyrinth...was open only one day a month or maybe per week. It is so emotionally moving to walk it that timing your trip around the day it is open is something to consider. The rest of the time the floor is covered with moveable chairs.

An excellent B&B is Les Convivhotes with Sylvie Menard who speaks perfect English.

The light show is once a week. And it is great fun. It will take you around the city center from one display to another. A great evening out.

The city is a delight to stroll around. Get down to the stream that goes through the town. The stream is on the side opposite the train station from the cathedral.

Time it correctly and, hmm...Bob's your Uncle.

wayne iNWI

Thanx for the reply, and particularly the link to the tour info. Somehow my research had missed that.
We have been to Chartres three times now, including the crypt, but somehow always missed Mr. Miller and the tower.
I was disappointed to learn the light show is now only once a week, when were last there it was every night and spectacular.