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Although Bourges's museums are not particularly interesting, they are housed in some beautiful medieval buildings, the finest of which are contained within the loop of roads northwest of the cathedral to either side of rue Moyenne and rue Porte-Jaune. Next to the cathedral in place E.-Dolet, the recently opened Musee des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (daily 2-6pm; closed Jan; free) has examples of what are considered to be the best works by French artisans; these are gathered under various categories such as pastry-making, musical instruments and glassware. Rue Bourbonnoux, parallel to rue Moyenne to the east of the cathedral, is worth a wander for the richly decorated Hotel Lallemant (daily 10am-noon & 2-6pm; free), now a diverting enough museum of medieval artefacts, with displays of sculpture, tapestries and furniture. Halfway along the street, you can take a narrow passage up to the remains of the Gallo-Roman town ramparts , lined with old houses and trees. Rue Gambon is noteworthy for the Maison de la Reine Blanche and the Hotel-Dieu , and close by is the pleasant square of place Notre-Dame , with its eponymous church, clearly showing the shift from Gothic to Renaissance. On rue E.-Branly, you'll find the fifteenth-century Hotel des Echevins (daily 10am-noon & 2-6pm; free), which was restored in 1985 and became the Musee de Maurice Esteve , filled with works by the twentieth-century painter. The continuation of rue E.-Branly, rue Jacques-C?ur , was the site of the head office, stock exchange, dealing rooms, bank safes and home of Charles VII's finance minister, Jacques C?ur (1400-56), a medieval shipping magnate, moneylender and arms dealer who dominates Bourges as Joan of Arc does Orleans - Charles VII just doesn't get a look-in. The Palais de Jacques-C?ur (daily: April-June, Sept & Oct 9am-noon & 2-6pm; July & Aug 9am-7pm; Nov-March 9am-noon & 2-5pm; guided tours every 1hr 15min beginning at 9.15am; 32F/4.88) is one of the most remarkable examples of fifteenth-century domestic architecture in France. The visit is memorable, and especially fun for children: it starts with the fake windows on the entrance front from which two realistically sculpted half-figures look down - possibly the man himself and his wife. There are hardly any furnishings inside, but the decorations on the stonework, including numerous hearts and scallop shells, clearly show the mark of the man who had it built. In the Salle du Tresor, there are carved scenes from the romance of Tristan and Iseult. The tour includes the kitchen, with its original water-heating system, and dining hall, with minstrels' gallery; you are also shown the original loos.
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