Some cathedrals are the seat of archbishops of important dioceses, and some are located in small, otherwise insignificant towns where they dominate everything. This is certainly the case in Chartres, where you really wonder why they built this magnificent edifice in, well, the middle of nowhere, really. Chartres is a pleasant enough town, to be sure, but one would not imagine a building of this scale there, and it is easy to see how it must have moved medieval pilgrims.

It's the high point of Gothic art in France and a masterpiece in every respect. Doubtlessly worth the visit.