Begun in the mid 12th-century, this masterpiece of the French Gothic style is famous for its magnificent Rose window and other stained glass, as well as the sculptures adorning the west door. There is no better sight than the approach to Chartres on the road from Paris, where it dominates the fla... Read more »

"Used by the kings of France from the 12th century, the medieval royal hunting lodge of Fontainebleau, standing at the heart of a vast forest in the Ile-de-France, was transformed, enlarged and embellished in the 16th century by François I, who wanted to make a 'New Rome' of it. Surrounded... Read more »