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Bourges Cathedral Tour
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Two hours south of Paris, below Orleans, in the heart of Berry, lays the medieval town of Bourges. Looking at its charming tranquility, who would ever guess how much history has transpired here? This is where Vercingetorix fought Julius Caesar in 52 BC. It is the town Charlemagne made the capital of the Aquitaine, where Charles VII resided during the Hundred Year's War, where Joan of Arc wintered, and where Calvin was converted to Luther's ideas.
It is also home to St. Etienne Cathedral, which shelters one of the most remarkable collections of 13th C. stained glass in all of Europe. And it is where you will find Jacques Coeur's Palace, the finest example of 15th C. civil architecture anywhere in France. This privately guided tour of Bourges explores the genius that went into both structures: the rib-vaulted architecture and stained glass of the cathedral, and the remarkable light-filled residential qualities of the palace. It can also, upon request, include a one hour tour of the cathedral with one of its leading experts, Barbara Thomas-Richard.
This tour of Bourges also delves into the character and personality of Jacques Coeur, one of the first Renaissance men in France, a man of astonishing talents: banker, financier to the crown, entrepreneur, shipper, builder, traveler and diplomat. His palace, constructed before 1450 and so full of architectural and residential refinements, anticipates the blossoming of the French renaissance architecture under François 1 by almost a full century.
Paris Luxury Tours usually proposes this escorted tour of Bourges in conjunction with either a tour of Chartres (for the relevance of Church architecture and stained glass in the 13th C.), or a tour of the Vezelay basilica (for its proximity), to complete a full day excursion from Paris. There are numerous delightful options for country meals in this region.
Cost for 1-3 persons: 850 € per group
4-6 persons: 950 € per group
100 €/hour surcharge applies beyond 8 hours.
Meals, entry fees, drinks not included.
Please fill out our contact form with your exact requirements.
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