It's just around the corner. Golden leaves, crisp mornings, the beautiful scenery of the Eure Valley… Autumn may well be one of the best times of the year to visit Eure et Loir! If you thought your travels ended when summer did, think again. Imagine cobbled streets, winding staircases, ancient half-timbered houses, picturesque medieval bridges, wash houses…and the changing leaves making for a lovely backdrop to everything that you can see on a walking tour of Chartres in autumn.
Autumn is a time to cosy up and explore without the bite of winter. The Sun King had a real eye for the ladies and a number of mistresses throughout his life.
He shared a unique romance and relationship with this special woman who was a precious companion and advisor. She later became his secret wife, although the whole court knew about it. Stroll along the elegant parterres creating a magnificent landscape dominated by water, which reflects the ruins of the majestic aqueduct never completed. Necropolis of the French Kings, the Royal Eure Valley is the perfect place to uncover fascinating parts of French history.
Perched on a hill dominating the city, the Royal Chapel of Dreux boasts in its crypt many funerary recumbent statues and tombs. These funerary life-size marble sculptures, dressed in their daily costume are realistic depictions of the deceased monarchs exposed for final respects. Notice the child wrapped in a marble veil or the sticking features of men and women as if they were alive. A remarkably precise work that leaves you speechless during a visit imbued with serenity.
One where you get to walk by the water, of course. A magical place for nature lovers when the leaves change from the lush greens of summer to the bright golds, oranges and reds of autumn! A spectacular testimony to 19th century art! Enter the "secret gardens" of the Sun King.
