Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thursday market takes place near the cathedral on Place des Maronniers, and Place
St-Bonnet has a good market on Sundays.
Sound-and-Light Show:
Bourges'
Nuits Lumière
start at sundown every night in July
and August, and every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in May, June, and September.
The town's facades, courtyards, and monuments are lit up, accompanied by medieval
and Renaissance music. You don't have to understand French to enjoy it (lasts until
midnight).
Music Festival:
EveryApril,Bourgeshosts
Printemps de Bourges,
ahugemusicfestival
Internet Access:
The TI has free Wi-Fi as does the
Euro Café
across the street.
Laundry:
Try
Laverie Excelclean
(1 Rue Wittelsheim, mobile 06 80 24 64 41), or ask at
the TI.
The only sights in Bourges that charge admission are the Palais Jacques Cœur and the
cathedral tower/crypt (both worth paying for). The handful of municipal museums are all
free.
▲▲▲
Cathedral of St. Etienne
OneofEurope'sgreatGothicchurches,BourgesCathedralisknownforitssimplebuthar-
monious design, flying buttresses, stained glass, and sheer size. A Christian church has
stood on this spot since the third century, including a Romanesque cathedral where Elean-
or of Aquitaine received her crown in 1137. The present church was started in 1195, and
largely finished just 55 years later—an astonishingly short amount of time for such a large
structure. The design was inspired by Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral, and it was built at the
same time as the cathedral in Chartres. These three churches sum up the “High” Gothic
style in France, and Bourges is one of the best-preserved, having been spared the ravages
of the French Revolution and both world wars.
Cost and Hours:
The
church interior
is free and open daily April-Sept 8:30-19:15,
Oct-March 9:00-17:45. The
tower and crypt
are covered by a €7.50 ticket, €5.50 for
tower only (or an €11 combo-ticket with Palais Jacques Cœur), and are open Mon-Sat
9:45-11:30&14:00-17:30,Sun14:00-17:30only,lastentry30minutesbeforeclosing,tel.
02 48 65 49 44,
http://cathedrale-bourges.monuments-nationaux.fr
.
Self-Guided Tour:
Use this commentary to get oriented, starting outside.
Exterior:
The magnificent
west facade
is exceptionally wide (135 feet), dominated
by five elaborately carved portals. The five doors reflect the church's unique interior—a
