The Chartres Cathedral labyrinth is closed for the winter season. So many different people came to walk while it was open each Friday from the beginning of Lent until All Saints Day. Some came once, others each week.
Whenever possible there is an opening pilgrimage ritual in English and French. Prayer for all who will come and their needs is also included. Once the labyrinth is open, there are often many people who walk it in the morning. It’s generally the busiest time of day on the labyrinth.
With so much of the interior restored, walking the labyrinth is often a very luminous experience, especially on sunny days.
Late during lunchtime, from around 13h00 (1 pm) to 14h30 (2:30 pm), is usually the quietest time for labyrinth use.
If you spend much or all of a Friday at the labyrinth, as I am blessed to do when in Chartres, you often meet new friends and greet old ones as well.
Being surrounded by the medieval stained-glass while moving on the labyrinth is one of the immense blessings of walking the labyrinth in the cathedral.
Looking up always provides an added perspective.
The labyrinth will be open again beginning in Lent on Friday, February 14, 2024. I hope to see you in Chartres next year!
Prayer suggestion: If you ever wish you were in Chartres, imagine yourself praying in the center of the labyrinth.
For further study:
Join Jill for a pilgrimage in Chartres. Find out more about The Treasures of the Labyrinth and the Chartres Cathedral from June 10-14, 2024. It will be hosted by Veriditas.. A private after-hours walk of the labyrinth in the cathedral is one of the highlights. There will also be time to walk the labyrinth when it is open on Friday June 14th. If you are registering before Dec. 31, 2023, contact Jill for a 15% off discount code.
To learn more about walking the Chartres labyrinth in the cathedral, you can read about (and use) the QR code prepared in French and English by the Labyrinth Hospitality Team at the Chartres Cathedral in France.
Review resources on the Chartres labyrinth created by Jill on her website Pray with Jill at Chartres.
Enjoy the slides from Stained-Glass Reflections: The Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth and the Stained Glass Around It. Jill led a three-hour workshop at the Labyrinth Society Annual Gathering in 2023 on this topic.
Through Jill's Eyes 
Thank you, Jill, for your fantastic photos and commentary. You are a blessing to me.