Bourges Cathedral and Museums

Begin at the Palais Jacques-Cœur, a flamboyant Gothic palace built for medieval France's wealthiest merchant — its 20 rooms, sculpted courtyard, and rare medieval steam bath offer a vivid portrait of 15th-century opulence. From there, admire the Renaissance facade of the Lallemant Mansion with its enigmatic alchemical ceiling carvings, then stroll down Rue Bourbonnoux, one of France's best-preserved medieval streets lined with half-timbered houses rebuilt after a great fire in 1487. The day's centrepiece is Bourges Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose transept-free nave creates a breathtaking unbroken vista across 120 metres of Gothic space, lit by over 130 stained glass panels spanning four centuries. Unwind afterwards in the Archbishop's Garden, a formal 18th-century parterre behind the cathedral, before ending at the Natural History Museum with its unique kouprey specimen and Hans, France's oldest naturalized elephant. The Natural History Museum opens only in the afternoon (from 14:00); the Palais Jacques-Cœur closes for a midday break between 12:15 and 14:00.