Auxerre
Auxerre (pronounced 'oh-sair') is an attractive mediæval town in Burgundy,
100 miles south east of Paris.
It is a pretty riverside town with charming old squares, narrow lanes and
half-timbered houses. It sits on a hill on the west bank of the River Yonne, with
winding streets and squares below belfries and half-timbered houses.
The best place to admire it is from the river where church spires and belfries rise above the rooftops.
Probably the most impressive of the religious building is the
Gothic Cathedral of St-Étienne
which was built spanning a period of three centuries and famous
for its intricate stained-glass.
Auxerre is also famed for its first-class football team and is a convenient base
for discovering the famous wine-growing area of Chablis plus the delightful
mediæval towns of Pontigny and Tonnerre. A boat-trip starting from the town's
port is a great way to discover some of the most beautiful vineyards and countryside in France.
Auxerre is in a very beautiful setting surrounded by vineyards. Important sites
include the Carolingian crypt in the Église St-Germain on the
rue Cauchois, which has frescoes of St Étienne that were painted in 850 AD, and are
some of the oldest in France.
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