Chartres Plains and Perche Return + Paris · Gâtinais and Fontainebleau South Sweep

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Paris

   It is a gift from the ruler of Egypt, about three thousand years old, and it was set up here in 1836 on the spot where the guillotine stood during the Revolution. Louis XVI was executed on this square in 1793, and so, in the Terror that followed, were over a thousand others. Now the square is a roundabout with fountains, ringed by traffic and framed by the Tuileries gardens on one side and the Madeleine church on the other. The banks of the Seine in this part of the city are UNESCO listed.

   Read the complete Paris write-up.

2. 2. Chartres

   The spires of Chartres cathedral appear on the horizon while you are still deep in the wheat fields of the Beauce, two mismatched towers, one plain and one flamboyant, rising out of the flat land like a mirage. For pilgrims, for centuries, that first sight was a moment of joy, and it still is if you approach on the quiet roads from the east or south.

   Read the complete Chartres write-up.

3. 3. Fontainebleau

   Fontainebleau is a royal town in a forest, and the combination is irresistible. The château grew over seven centuries from a medieval hunting lodge into a palace of great beauty, and François I turned it into a showpiece of the Renaissance, importing Italian artists to decorate its galleries. Napoleon was fond of it, too, and it was in the horseshoe staircase courtyard that he said farewell to his Old Guard in April 1814, before leaving for exile on Elba. The courtyard is called the Cour des Adieux, and visitors still stand on those steps for photos.

   Read the complete Fontainebleau write-up.

4. 4. Paris

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Paris write-up.