Art & Architecture
article | Reading time8 min
Looking for a destination within easy reach of the capital, for a day or a weekend? Here are 8 ideas for cultural visits that are sure to delight you.
Bourg-en-Bresse and the monastère de Brou
The town of Bourg-en-Bresse, only an hour and 50 minutes by train from Paris, is home to one of the most beautiful masterpieces of flamboyant Gothic architecture : the monastère royal de Brou.
It was Marguerite of Austria who had this majestic mausoleum built after the death of her beloved husband, Philibert le Beau, in 1504. With its three cloisters, its Burgundian-style roof worthy of the Hospices de Beaune and its church containing a rood screen and princely tombs, this architectural ensemble is unique in France!
The icing on the cake: the Brou monastery houses a 6,000 square metre fine arts museum, displaying 434 works of art. You won't want to get bored...
- Open every day
- Full price €11, free for under-26s
- Train journey from Paris: 1h50
© Franck Paubel
Chartres and its cathedral with its exceptional stained-glass windows
Built in the 13th century, cathédrale de Chartres symbolises the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture. Its slender beauty inspired other buildings, such as the cathédrale d'Amiens and Reims!
Its 172 stained glass windows form one of the best-preserved groups of windows from the Middle Ages. They are famous for their pure, luminous blue, known as "Chartres blue", which is made from cobalt.
The cathedral is also home to a modern and spectacular structure: its metal framework, one of the oldest in France, dating from the first half of the 19th century!
From April to January, the cathedral and the rest of the city's heritage are sublimated at nightfall by the "Chartres en lumières" illuminations. A dazzling spectacle not to be missed!
- Open every day except Sunday morning
- Price of guided tours: €7
- Train journey from Paris: 1 hour
© Laurent Gueneau / Centre des monuments nationaux
Bourges, European Capital of Culture
Designated European Capital of Culture 2028, the town of Bourges has more than one string to its bow. Have you ever visited this charming town with its winding streets lined with half-timbered houses?
You'll discover two gems of Gothic architecture: cathédrale Saint-Étienne and the palais Jacques Cœur.
The latter was built in the mid-15th century by Jacques Cœur, a wealthy merchant who became King Charles VII's treasurer. You will no doubt be familiar with his motto: "Nothing is impossible to a valiant heart"! His palace is one of the very first examples of a Gothic civil residence: with its rich decorations, galleries and wide openings, it prefigures the private mansions of the Renaissance.
The cathédrale Saint-Etienne, meanwhile, is a vast stone vessel that dominates the whole city, and has twice been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Don't forget to go down into the crypt, where you'll find some splendid medieval sculptures and the recumbent tomb of the Duc de Berry, all in black and white marble.
- Palais Jacques Cœur: open every day
- Cathedral: open every day except Sunday morning
- Palais Jacques Cœur and cathedral crypt combined ticket: €14
- Train journey from Paris: 2 hours
© Patrick Tourneboeuf - Tendance floue / Centre des monuments nationaux
Amiens and its cathedral of all records
The cathédrame d'Amiens is a record-breaker.
First of all, it is the largest medieval cathedral in the world, with an interior volume of almost 200,000m3, twice that of Notre-Dame de Paris.
It's also the tallest, with vaulted ceilings rising to 42.3 metres!
Last but not least, it is the tallest building in Amiens, with a spire reaching 112 metres.
That's three more reasons to visit it at all costs!
Take the tour of the towers to get a closer look at its rich sculpted decoration. Once you've made your way up the 302 steps, you'll have an unbeatable view of the cathedral's roofs, the 16th-century spire and Amiens' historic centre.
- Open every day except Tuesdays and during religious ceremonies.
- Towers tour: €7
- Rose tour: €5.50
- Tour of the treasure: €5
- Train journey from Paris: 1h10
© Patrick Müller / Centre des monuments nationaux
Angers and its medieval jewels
Do you love the Middle Ages... a little? a lot? passionately? Then head for Angers!
The château d'Angers, built in the 13th century by Blanche de Castille, is the largest fortress in the Loire Valley. It boasts 17 towers and almost 1 km of schist and limestone walls.
This medieval jewel contains another: the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, the oldest and longest surviving tapestry from the Middle Ages! At 100 metres long, 4.50 metres high and featuring 74 scenes, this unique masterpiece deserved to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After your visit to the castle, take a stroll through Angers town centre, where other surprises await you: the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the David d'Angers gallery, the Musée Jean Lurçat and the Musée de la Tapisserie contemporaine... You're spoilt for choice!
- Open every day
- Full price €11, free for under-26s
- Train journey from Paris: 1h20
© Isabelle Guegan / DRAC des Pays de La Loire
Pierrefonds and its fairytale castle
Near Compiègne, discover the fortified château de Pierrefonds, dismantled in the 17th century and then reinvented in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-le-Duc.
With its eight towers, keep and battlements, it has all the hallmarks of a fairytale castle: Walt Disney is even said to have drawn inspiration from it to design the castle in Sleeping Beauty!
If you want to extend your stay in the Hauts-de-France region, there are a number of places to visit: 40 minutes north-east of Pierrefonds, you can visit the majestic ruins of the medieval château of Coucy, destroyed during the First World War; 20 minutes north-west, you can visit the beautiful château of Compiègne; 20 minutes south-east, don't miss the Cité internationale de la langue française, a unique cultural site in the heart of the château of Villers-Cotterêts.
- Open every day
- Château de Pierrefonds: full price €9
- Combined ticket for château de Pierrefonds and Cité internationale de la langue française: €15
- Triple ticket for château de Pierrefonds, Cité internationale de la langue française and château de Coucy: €20
- Pierrefonds can be reached by car from Paris in around 1? hours.
© Christian Gluckman / Centre des monuments nationaux
Villers-Cotterêts and the Cité internationale de la langue française
The château de Villers-Cotterêts, a Renaissance jewel to be completely restored in 2023, is now home to a unique cultural venue: the Cité internationale de la langue française.
Immerse yourself in the adventure of the French language thanks to a rich tour featuring 150 works of art and 62 audiovisual and digital displays ! You can also take advantage of its rich cultural programme: shows, concerts, workshops, etc.
Feeling peckish? All you have to do is take a lunch break in the café or have a picnic in the château grounds!
- Open every day
- Full price €9, concessions €7.50, free for under-26s
- Return TER ticket from Paris + entrance to the Cité: €18
- Train journey from Paris: 45 minutes
© Pierre-Olivier Deschamps / Centre des monuments nationaux
Azay-le-Rideau, jewel of the Loire Valley
It's impossible to resist the charm of the château d'Azay-le-Rideau, which Balzac described as "a faceted diamond set by the Indre"!
Is the sun shining? Make the most of it by strolling through the château's landscaped grounds, an eight-hectare green setting. Stroll along winding paths, cross charming little bridges, take a break in the shade of century-old trees... The highlight of the show: two water mirrors for some great souvenir photos!
Is the weather getting bad? Step inside the château and let yourself be dazzled by its interior design and refined décor.
- Open every day
- Full price €13, free for under-26s
- Train journey from Paris: 2 hours
Léonard de Serres - Centre des monuments nationaux
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