Le Grand Monarque

Chartres

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With teal-blue shutters gracing its 1779 façade, a lovely stained-glass ceiling and a treasure trove of period furnishings, old B&W photos and knick-knacks, the epicentral Grand Monarque is a historical gem. Some rooms have air-conditioning; staff are charming. A host of hydrotherapy treatments are available at its spa. Its elegant restaurant, Georges, has a Michelin star.

Family rooms have sofa beds; cots and babysitting services are available. Ask about cooking courses in English (1½ hours from €30).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The south view of Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, France.; Cathédrale Notre Dame Shutterstock ID 688583665; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Cathédrale Notre Dame

    0.28 MILES

    One of Western civilisation’s crowning architectural achievements, the 130m-long Cathédrale Notre Dame de Chartres is renowned for its brilliant-blue…

  • View to the North tower of Chartres Cathedral.

    Tour Nord

    0.28 MILES

    Climbing 350 steps up to the 112m-high Tour Nord (aka Clocher Neuf; New Bell Tower) of the Cathédrale Notre Dame is well worth it. A 70m-high platform on…

  • West Royal portal of Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres.

    Portail Royal

    0.27 MILES

    The west, north and south entrances of the Cathédrale Notre Dame have superbly ornamented triple portals, but the west entrance, known as the Portail…

  • Cathédrale Notre Dame Crypt

    Cathédrale Notre Dame Crypt

    0.33 MILES

    The 100m crypt of Cathédrale Notre Dame, a tombless Romanesque structure built in 1024 around a 9th-century predecessor, is the largest in France. Tours…

  • Église St-Pierre

    Église St-Pierre

    0.44 MILES

    Flying buttresses hold up the 12th- and 13th-century Église St-Pierre. Once part of a Benedictine monastery founded in the 7th century, it was outside the…

  • Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Musée des Beaux-Arts

    0.33 MILES

    Chartres’ fine-arts museum, accessed via the gate next to Cathédrale Notre Dame’s north portal, is in the former Palais Épiscopal (Bishop’s Palace), built…

  • Clocher Vieux

    Clocher Vieux

    0.27 MILES

    Along with the the Portail Royal, the main Romanesque feature of the Cathédrale Notre Dame is the 105m-high Clocher Vieux (also called the Tour Sud or…

  • Église St-Aignan

    Église St-Aignan

    0.31 MILES

    Église St-Aignan is interesting for its wooden barrel-vault roof (1625), arcaded nave and painted interior of faded blue and gold floral motifs (c 1870)…

View more attractions

Nearby Chartres attractions

1. Portail Royal

0.27 MILES

The west, north and south entrances of the Cathédrale Notre Dame have superbly ornamented triple portals, but the west entrance, known as the Portail…

2. Clocher Vieux

0.27 MILES

Along with the the Portail Royal, the main Romanesque feature of the Cathédrale Notre Dame is the 105m-high Clocher Vieux (also called the Tour Sud or…

3. Cathédrale Notre Dame

0.28 MILES

One of Western civilisation’s crowning architectural achievements, the 130m-long Cathédrale Notre Dame de Chartres is renowned for its brilliant-blue…

4. Tour Nord

0.28 MILES

Climbing 350 steps up to the 112m-high Tour Nord (aka Clocher Neuf; New Bell Tower) of the Cathédrale Notre Dame is well worth it. A 70m-high platform on…

5. Église St-Aignan

0.31 MILES

Église St-Aignan is interesting for its wooden barrel-vault roof (1625), arcaded nave and painted interior of faded blue and gold floral motifs (c 1870)…

6. Centre International du Vitrail

0.31 MILES

After viewing the stained glass in Chartres’ cathedral, nip into the town’s International Stained-Glass Centre, in a half-timbered former granary, to see…

7. Cathédrale Notre Dame Crypt

0.33 MILES

The 100m crypt of Cathédrale Notre Dame, a tombless Romanesque structure built in 1024 around a 9th-century predecessor, is the largest in France. Tours…

8. Musée des Beaux-Arts

0.33 MILES

Chartres’ fine-arts museum, accessed via the gate next to Cathédrale Notre Dame’s north portal, is in the former Palais Épiscopal (Bishop’s Palace), built…