Dreux tourism, attractions and things to see
Below you can discover places that we have visited and that we can recommend around and near Dreux, Center-Val de Loire.
Dreux - Chapelle royale Saint-Louis
The Chapelle Royale Saint-Louis was built in 1816 by the Dowager Duchess of Orléans on the site of the former fortress of the Counts of Dreux. Enlarged by his son, King Louis-Philippe, he made it the necropolis of the members of his family and his descendants. The Sèvres manufactory has delivered here splendid painted and enamelled stained glass windows inspired by religious or historical compositions such as "the life of Saint-Louis", patron saint of the Royal Chapel. The most beautiful works show the famous Sèvres blue.
Dreux - Eglise St Pierre
Built in the first third of the 13th century, it is contemporary to the cathedral of Chartres. It contains an organ case with polychrome sculptures dated 1614, a 16th century Christ on the Cross, a pulpit and Louis XV confessionals.
Dreux - Beffroi
The only monument of this type in the Eure-et-Loir, it was erected between 1512 and 1537. Former Town Hall, it is the symbol of the communal liberties acquired by the Drouais bourgeois since the reign of Louis VI the Fatty. The ornamentation of the facade clearly marks the transition between the flamboyant Gothic style on the ground floor and the Renaissance style on the second floor.
The castle of Anet
The castle of Anet is a jewel of French Renaissance architecture. It was built in 1548 by King Henry II for his favourite, Diane de Poitiers. The greatest artists of the time participate in its construction among which Philibert de l'Orme, architect and humanist of the Renaissance. The estate includes the magnificent castle of Diana, of which only one wing remains, the royal chapel in the shape of a Greek cross, the triumphal portal in which the curious clock indicating the phases of the Moon is set, and the funeral chapel in which Diana rests.
Espace Naturel d'Escluzelles
With its 5 km circumference, the body of water of Mézières-Écluzelles is the largest of Eure-et-Loir. Close to Dreux, it is the ideal place for a stroll, picnic or canoeing. Accessible along a small path, the hillside of Mézières-Ecluzelles-Charpont offers unprecedented landscape views in a preserved natural environment. There is a great diversity of environment between bodies of water, rivers and dry environments remarkable for their specific flora and fauna.
