twoflower

OK you Francophile Fodorites out there! I thought a good "theme" for my next jaunt to France might be Gothic Cathedrals. Not that I'm especially interested in them as such, but they are a basis for designing an itinerary which might include many other things as well. I am particularly interested in characterful "old towns".
The Gothic Cathedral cities around Northern France are St Denis (almost a suburb of Paris now), Amiens, Reims, Troyes, Chartres, Bourges, Caen, Soissons, Noyon, Laon. Which of these would people recommend as exciting destinations generally, and as bases for interesting local exploration?

twoflower

I left Beauvais, Sens and Senlis out of the above choices, all of which are reasonably near Paris.

subcon

don't pass up rouen with it's historic cathedral and charming town.

ira

Hi two,

Why only Gothic? France has many Romanesque churches and Cathedrals.

BTilke

Of the ones you've listed, biggest recommendation for Bourges. Fantastic cathedral, vibrant old town, several good museums, nice restaurants, a few pleasant hotels, and the city is a little off the regular tourist radar. Also a very moderately priced city; we stayed in arguably the best hotel in town for $100 a night. We went to Bourges three times this past summer and still have a few things left to see.
Bourges is about 2 hours from Paris by train. Once there, if you decide to rent a car (easily done, there are car rental agencies near the train station), you can either explore the wineries of Sancerre (and the many goat cheese producers in the same region) or go about 30 to 45 minutes south into Berry, the heart of France. Several interesting chateaux and other sites.
Senlis was interesting, but also just ok, IMHO. Worth a day trip, but it's not at the top of my list.
You don't say when you plan to go, but Bourges does a fabulous (and free) sound and light multimedia show every night in the old city during the summer. Check out www.bourgestourisme.com

cigalechanta

Cathedral of St.-Pierre in Poitiers, with the 13 century stalls and carving on the portals.

Underhill

Chartres would be first on my list--magnificent Gothic cathedral, possibly the best in France, and a fine medieval city surrounding it.

If you're willing to head into Burgundy, both Autun and Vézelay are outstanding.

St-Denis you can visit from Paris in just a few hours. It's remarkable for being a turning point in the history of French architecture, and the royal tombs are very interesting.

After that I would recommend Reims and Caen, with its two abbey churches. Both are splendid, in differing ways.

laverendrye

Perhaps it's a little bit farther from Paris than the other cathedral towns, but Strasbourg and its magnificent cathedral should certainly not be missed.

Christina

It's an interesting idea, but if you aren't particularly interested in them, why plan an itinerary around them? Why not choose something you ARE interested in to plan an itinerary. I would not recommend Chartres as an exciting destination in itself, for example, the cathedral is the main reason people go there. I did find St Denis and Reims to have much of interest other than the cathedral.

PalQ

Chartres to me is the best meld of exquisite cathedral and neat old town; be sure to seek out the really neat old buildings lining the river. Reims, largely destroyed in WWI and WWII, has a great cathedral with a blah town but also offers things to do besides marvel at the cathedral that is as grand as any in France. You can tour the Champagne caves of world-famous Champagne houses; tours go through subterranean tunnels and may (depends on what one you chose) offers free tastings of the bubbly afterward. There is also the room where Ike and other allied military gurus planned the final assaults of WWII; it's in an old school and the original maps still grace the walls. St. Denis is as close as France comes to having a slum - really awful looking area around the stunning cathedral. Amiens, Caen, Beauvais and Laon, and to a lesser extent Rouen, like many northern French cities are scarred by an industrial past and recent economic doldrums when the steel and coal industries went bust; they are getting more pleasant thorough urban renewal but still lack any authentic old-world charm. Troyes is a gem of a town. Bourges is nice. Orleans, largely destroyed in WWII, offers a great cathedral you didn't mention - it's one of the largest in France.

kismetchimera

Saint Denis, which is only 30 minutes metro ride from Paris, is my husband favourite's place in Paris..

twoflower

Christina: I knew someone was going to ask me that! It's not that I'm not interested in cathedrals at all, but I'm not so besotten with cathedrals that I'd make them my sole reason for going somewhere. Hence my question about which of the Gothic cathedral cities had other merits as well.

My problem is that I want to go everywhere, and I have always loved everywhere I've been to, so I have to find some "hook" for reducing my itineraries to manageable proportions. Gothic cathedrals is one such "hook", and yes, I would enjoy the cathedrals themselves as well as whatever else a place had to offer.

Ira: why Gothic? Same reason I suppose - if I open it up to all cathedrals I'm back into unmanageably large itineraries. But I certainly have no problem with Romanesque, Baroque or Rayonnment etc, and would, for example, drop in to Vezelay en route between the Gothic cathedral cities of Troyes and Bourges.

Speaking of which, no-one had anything to say about Troyes, although I've heard it has a charming old town and town walls the shape of a champagne cork. Does anyone know it?

Thanks for all the other suggestions.

twoflower

Sorry PalQ - I re-read the postings and saw your description of Troyes as "a gem of a town". It confirms what I had heard. Thanks.

celticdreams

I'll proclaim myself completely ignorant in the area of architecture, so I have no clue what category the cathedral in Metz falls into. I know that's stunning and the town around it is lovely. It sits in that area of France that had very fluid boundaries with Germany. You get a lot of influence from both cultures.

Michael

Troyes has a charming old town in the shape of a Champagne cork. It also has a very interesting museum of 19th century tools and trades. The cathedral has beautiful windows but relatively little statuary. At the edge of the old town there is a very nice covered daily market. For eating, try Le Bistroquet.

Morganne

Dear TwoFlower!

I spent a week end in Chartres ...to see first of all the cathedral! This cathedral is really beautiful..I love it..and if the theme of your trip is the Gothic cathedral, please do not forget this one! You will not regret it!You know that this cathedral as been listed as World Heritage site by Unesco. The windows are so splendid! Have a look at this page if you want more info about it: http://www.chartres-tourisme.com/pag...page.php!!Good trip!

RonZ

The cathedral in Albi is the most interesting one I've seen in France.

Shar

I very much enjoyed St. Denis and we were lucky enough to hit the area when there was an enormous market in the area. It went on for blocks. Spent a lot of time just mingling with the folk and the Cathedral is magnificient. Also Chartes for the beautiful stained glass and architecture.

travelmate23

We loved St Denis, Amiens, Chartres (of course) and Bourges. But two of our favorite off the track places were the exquisite little abbey (formerly cathedral) at Vezelay and Fontevraud Abbey, where Richard II is interred. Happy travels!

travelmate23

Sorry--actually I meant to say Richard I — the lion-hearted when recommending Fontevraud. His wife Isabella's effigy lies next to his. English Henry II is there as well, next to Eleanor of Acquitaine, who is shown looking bored, reading a book.