Chartres Cathedral labyrinth, Medieval church labyrinth in Notre-Dame de Chartres, France.
The Chartres Cathedral labyrinth is a pattern of stone paths laid across the cathedral floor that form one large, circular design with curved passages throughout. The paths loop and turn back on themselves repeatedly, covering the entire central floor space of the worship area.
This labyrinth was built in the early 1200s as a core feature of the new Gothic cathedral, designed when the building was still under construction. Medieval builders planned it as an integral part of how people would experience and move through the sacred interior space.
Today, visitors walk this floor pattern as a path for quiet reflection and inner thought, moving slowly through its curved passages. Many people use the labyrinth to slow down and connect with the spiritual intentions of those who built it centuries ago.
You can enter the labyrinth and walk through it at your own pace, following the pattern marked on the floor. Be aware that it may be blocked off during religious services, so it helps to ask staff about the best times or to visit when fewer ceremonies are happening.
The center point of the cathedral's grand rose window aligns perfectly with the center of the floor labyrinth when its design is projected downward. This precise geometric connection reveals how carefully medieval builders thought about linking different parts of the building together.
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