Chartres and surroundings in 5 days

Five days based in Chartres explore the cathedral city and the quietly rich heritage of the Eure-et-Loir countryside. The first day covers Chartres itself — its UNESCO-listed cathedral with 176 medieval stained glass windows, a cluster of Gothic and Romanesque churches, and the Maison Picassiette, a house covered in millions of ceramic fragments by a self-taught street sweeper. Day trips radiate outward: north to Dreux for its Royal Chapel of the Orléans dynasty and Château d'Anet, the Renaissance residence of Diane de Poitiers; west to Château de Maintenon, Louis XIV's retreat with Le Nôtre gardens and the dramatic ruins of Vauban's unfinished aqueduct; and south to Châteaudun, where a fortress spanning three architectural eras overlooks the Loir valley and nearby limestone caves glitter with rare blue chalcedony crystals. The final day slows the pace at La Tanière, a 20-hectare animal sanctuary sheltering 600 rescued animals. Several sites close on Mondays or Tuesdays — planning around closure days is essential.