The Chartres Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Gothic architecture and magnificent 12th and 13th century stained-glass windows. One of the cathedral's relics is a veil, which it is said the Virgin Mary wore when she gave birth. The carefully preserved medieval town with its half-beamed architecture and narrow streets also makes Chartres well worth a day trip from Paris. By train, it takes an hour to an hour and 15 minutes with almost hourly departures from Montparnasse Station. When there, climb the towers for a view of the countryside, walk one of the few surviving prayer labyrinths in France, take a tour explaining the stories behind the stained-glass windows and lunch in the old town.