Bourges is the capital of Cher, in the Center-Loire Valley region.
It was the capital of the province of Berry, before the Revolution, which corresponded to the departments of Indre and Cher.
The city has a population of just over 68,000, and nearly 100,000 with its metropolitan area.
Surrounded by marshes, located south of the Loire on an axis conducive to business and trade, the city developed under the Romans and built a wall in the 4th century.
In the Middle Ages, its bishops were primates of Aquitaine, which made it an important religious center. Attached to the kingdom in 1100, its defenses are reinforced against the Plantagenet.
St. Stephen's Cathedral was built in 1195, and in the 14th century the Duchy of Berry was erected as an appanage (part of the royal domain which the monarch assigns to his younger sons or brothers). Bourges knows its golden age: Jean de France, brother of Charles V, turns out to be a patron and an esthete who builds a palace, and attracts architects and artists. It was thus that Jacques Coeur, the king's financier, established himself at Bourges and laid the foundations for his fruitful commerce.
Then, under Louis XI, a university was created.
Catastrophe in 1487: a fire ravages two-thirds of the city. However, many half-timbered houses will be rebuilt. However, Bourges is gradually losing its position as a stronghold of the kingdom. Its rise resumed in the 19th century with the construction of the Canal du Berry and the arrival of the railway. Industries are established (foundries, armament). The city still extends into the 20th century, while preserving its heritage which now makes it a culturally attractive city and a high place of tourism.City of Art and History, Bourges has a rich architectural heritage. The Saint-Etienne cathedral built in the 13th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This cathedral of Gothic architecture is extremely unusual in that it does not possess a transept. Its ancient stained glass windows as well as the sculptures of its central portal are awe-inspiring. Nearby, the flower garden of the Archbishop's Palace is a quiet and peaceful place offering a magnificent view of the Saint-Etienne cathedral.
The visit of Bourges continues with the famous Jacques-Coeur palace, a 15th-century civil building of Flamboyant Gothic style. Strolling through the old town is very pleasant with its narrow paved streets lined with half-timbered houses, its Gothic and Renaissance hotels, as well as its small squares decorated with cafés and the shops in the pedestrian streets.
The city is renowned for its famous music festival that takes place in April, the “Printemps de Bourges”.
