Castle and Caves of Châteaudun from Chartres
Chartres → Châteaudun
Trip Overview
A full-day trip from Chartres to Châteaudun covering 6 attractions in approximately 8h 25min. The plan includes public transit from Chartres, step-by-step routes between stops, and entrance fees from €23 per person. Compare public transit & car with costs for each leg.
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Perched 60 metres above the Loir river, the Château de Châteaudun brings together a 12th-century Romanesque keep, a Gothic wing built by Joan of Arc's companion Jean de Dunois, and a Renaissance gallery housing one of France's richest tapestry collections — all within a single fortress. From the castle terrace the route descends into medieval lanes past the Church of the Magdalene, whose Romanesque portal lay hidden behind the ramparts for centuries, and Saint-Valérien Church with three architectural eras stacked beneath a 50-metre bell tower. After wandering the half-timbered houses of the old town and the contrasting 18th-century streets rebuilt after the great fire of 1723, the afternoon turns underground at the Grottes du Foulon — limestone caves glittering with rare blue chalcedony crystals and bearing traces of human habitation stretching back 300,000 years. The château, museum, and caves are all closed on Tuesdays; the caves open only in the afternoon and require a guided tour, so booking ahead is recommended.
Your Day Timeline — Castle and Caves of Châteaudun from Chartres
Your Day Timeline — Châteaudun: Castle, Old Town and Caves
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Château de Châteaudun
The Château de Châteaudun rises from a rocky spur 60 metres above the Loir river, often called the "first of the Loire châteaux" because Jean de Dunois's 15th-century transformation here set the archi…
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Châteaudun Church of the Magdalene
This former Augustinian abbey church dates from the 12th century, founded in 1120 by Thibault IV, Count of Blois and Dunois. Originally stretching about 80 metres long, it was the largest religious bu…
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Châteaudun Saint-Valérien Church
Saint-Valérien Church is a classified Historic Monument in Châteaudun, built across three centuries from the 12th to the 16th. The Romanesque choir dates to the 1100s, while the nave received Gothic s…
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Châteaudun Old Town
The old town of Châteaudun sits on a limestone promontory above the Loir River, centered around the castle and the Place du 18 Octobre. The historic quarter splits into two distinct areas: a medieval…
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Dinner Break
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Châteaudun Museum of Fine Arts and Natural History
This municipal museum in Châteaudun holds certified "Musée de France" status and spans nine rooms across fine arts, natural history, archaeology, Egyptology, and Asian art. Founded in 1864 by the Soci…
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Grottes du Foulon
The Grottes du Foulon are a natural limestone cave system extending roughly 500 meters beneath the town of Châteaudun, about 130 km southwest of Paris. Formed through karstic erosion of Senonian chalk…
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