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If you want a classic view of the cathedral on its hill in the town center you can walk over the river to the location of the Youth Hostel - auberge de la jeunesse (sp?) and from that area on a hill there is a supreme view of the cathedral from afar.

If driving to Chartres from the south (Loire) there is a classic view to Chartres cathedral from miles and miles away.

Chartres also has a special interest site appealing only to a few but if you are a farmer or agricutlural historian, etc check out the Conservatoire du machinisme et pratiques agricoles (COMPA) - a museum of old agricultural machines and techniques in a former railway building right near the Chartres train station.

http://www.ca-fondationpaysdefrance....91&id_cdfgd=26

You might be interested in this bit of history about the cathedral:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner...jay-nordlinger

http://amandamartinmorris.tumblr.com...-the-cathedral

http://projects.militarytimes.com/ci...cipientid=6100

FMTours - thanks for those links.

I remember a part of a Malcolm spiel about the origination of the word "Banque" - "Bank" in English - outside the cathedral were benches or in French banques I guess they called them and some folks would collect money from the pilgrims there or something like that and they called them banquiers - so the word bank, Malcom said, started in Chartres in front of the cathedral.

Origin of the word[edit]
The word bank was borrowed in Middle English from Middle French banque, from Old Italian banca, from Old High German banc, bank "bench, counter". Benches were used as desks or exchange counters during the Renaissance by Florentine bankers, who used to make their transactions atop desks covered by green tablecloths.[12]

well a quick fact check showed that Malcom was not always correct but made a nice story!