France was where the Gothic style was invented, and the great cathedrals of Paris and the Ile de France bear witness to the huge changes in art, architecture, and society that happened in the Middle Ages. These self-guided tours take you around a number of French cities - Laon, Chartres, Reims, Bourges, Rouen, Beauvais and Amiens - as well as the cathedral of Notre Dame, the Sainte Chapelle, and basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. They show how the architecture works and describe the philosophy behind it, as well as finding a few curiosities along the way.