"A Class Cathedral and A Rich Man's Palace" Top 5 Page for this destination Bourges by hquittner

Bourges Travel Guide: 50 reviews and 136 photos

Most of the Cathedral's West Facade - Bourges

Where is Bourges?

Bourges (pop. 71K) is 106 km south of Orleans and 238 km (150 miles) south of Paris. It is in the southeast part of Centre in the department of Cher (18). The last of the famous chateaux are at Gien and Sully-sur-Loire (See our Tips on that one), to the north of the area called Sologne, a poor marshy countryside, but it was the capital of Berry, a dukedom ruled by the king’s brother whose chateau is long gone. We spent two nights here, staying at an Inn which had a gourmet restaurant, which is still active but may no longer offer rooms.

We Saw the Cathedral and More

Coeur's Mansion Courtyard View of Hexagonal Stairs

Bourges has a cathedral that was actively in construction in 1195, a year after Chartres, that is considered within the group of the 10 most important French (Gothic) cathedrals. It is very large and has two aisles on each side of its nave, with 5 portals in its west face.

Jacques Coeur

Street Scene in Bourges

Jacques Coeur, who was Master of the Mint to Charles VII, lived here and in 1443 started his mansion (Palace), completed in 10 years. He was a shrewd merchant and financed in large way a form of piracy becoming fabulously rich. He fell from favor as his retirement home was finshing and fled to Rome. This fine structure remains as a rare example of a Gothic mansion.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A Full Day or More
Cons:Off the Beaten Paths
In a nutshell:Worth a Detour

Last visit to Bourges: Aug 1988
Intro Updated Mar 4, 2009
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Reviews (15)

Study the West Facade Central Portal Things to Do (11)

The tympanum of the central door of the West front is a 13C masterpiece, featuring the Last Judgement. The lowest level... more travel advice

Duke Jean at Table- Jean de Limbourg (ca 1404-10) - Bourges

Jean Duc du Berry Favorites (2)

Very little remains to celebrate Bourges most famous ruler. Jean, Duc du Berry, was the brother of King Charles V and... more travel advice

Jacques Coeur Favorites (2)

The statue brings up memories of the history of Jacques Coeur. He was born in Bourges (1394-1456), and was a financier... more travel advice

Summer Evening Concerts Nightlife (1)

During the summer tourist season, there is a continuous series of musical events in the evenings at Bourges. Most of... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Fine Food (and a Place to Stay?)

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Comments (2)

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Jeannette1 Feb 14, 2011 at 8:08 PM

Thanks for bringing back some childhood memories of Bourges.
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Elisabcn Jul 16, 2010 at 1:04 PM

It seems that you are the "French cathedrals' expert" on VT! Hope to enjoy Bourges as you did soon. Thanks for sharing