Gothic Cathedrals of France

Paris, Amiens, Beauvais, Reims, Chartres and more...

There is no better place than the heart of France for a tour of classical Gothic architecture. Travel an hour or so from Notre Dame de Paris and you can easily reach a dozen more cathedrals such as St. Denis, Rouen, Reims, Chartres, Beauvais, Amiens - to name but a few of the many crown jewels of France's treasure trove of Gothic architecture (see a more complete list in red below).

At Notre-Dame de Paris you may not run into Esmeralda or Quasimodo, as Victor Hugo would have you believe, but you will discover many surprising facets of this ornate 12-14th century Gothic cathedral:

The Rouen cathedral is a wonderful masterpiece in the Gothic style known as "lanceolate" (architectural details shaped like a lance head). This grandiose edifice was also made famous by the painter Claude Monet, the grand master of French Impressionism, who was fascinated by the luminous changes on its façade. He produced some twenty different canvases of the front view showing the building at various times of the day or year and under a variety of weather conditions.

Rouen is the capital of Normandy. It is very proud of its Gothic cathedral, of course, but it has more to offer. A walk down its narrow cobbled streets lined with ancient timber-framed houses takes you back to medieval times, all the way back to 1431 when Joan of Arc was burned at the stake on the Place du Vieux Marché. Her statue can be found in a corner of the square.

In Reims, premier center of the Champagne region a winery tour is "de rigueur," of course. But, in the abse of the cathedral, you will notice the modern-day stained glass windows by Mark Chagall (nothing medieval about Chagall art, but it is an interesting matching of styles).

At Notre-Dame de Chartres, widely considered the "prototype Gothic building," the creativity and skill of medieval church builders and architects is absolutely amazing. This cathedral inspires superlatives. It is considered the finest example of the "high Gothic" style of architecture: soaring aisles, delicate carvings, flamboyant spires, complex flying buttresses, high pointed arches and the vivid colors of the superb stained glass windows (152 of which have survived the centuries).

List of cathedrals. There are many possibilities for Gothic cathedral tours in France. The following is an alphabetical list of the most important ones in and around Paris: Amiens, Bayeux, Beauvais, Bourges, Chartres, Laon, the abbey of Mont St Michel, Paris ( Notre Dame, St Eustache and Sainte Chapelle), Reims, Rouen, Senlis, Sens, St Denis, Strasbourg and Troyes.

Suggested reading/viewing: "The Cathedral," a 24-lecture course on DVD presented by professor William R. Cook, Ph D., published by The Great Courses company (800-832-2412)

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Romanesque architecture. In addition to Gothic cathedrals, there are hundreds of Romanesque churches scattered all around France (Paris, by the way, only has two: St Germain des Pres and St Pierre de Montmartre). From Paris, you can easily get to the following by train:

• In Provence: Notre Dame des Doms in Avignon, St Trophime in Arles, Senanque Abbey, cathedral and St Quenin chapel in Vaison la Romaine
• In Normandy: Abbaye aux Hommes and Abbaye aux Dames in Caen, and the abbey of Mont St Michel (motor coach tour) with both Gothic and Romanesque elements in its architecture.

The many others around the countryside (Cluny, Fontenay, Vezelay, Autun, Fontfroide, Moissac, Fontevraud, Poitiers, Rocamadour, etc.) are not located on major tourist routes and are therefore harder to get to. Going there by car is the best way to reach those.

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With so much great architecture all around France, the combinations for a cathedral and sacred architecture tour are virtually limitless. The following is just an example among many other possibilities.

*Please note! The above itinerary is only a suggested program. There are no set departure dates. We can start your tour any time you want.

Tell us where and when you want to travel and we will create a custom tour that fits your specific interests, schedule and budget.

Your handcrafted, tailor-made package will include ground transportation, guided tours and hotel rooms.

The price of your program will depend on your needs (scheduled group tours, private guides...) and the number of participants in your group, the length of the trip, the category of hotels, the number of places visited, the time of year, etc.

We will do all the bookings and pay each individual provider on your behalf. In other words, you go and have fun and we'll take care of the details for you.