Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Auxerre
Auxerre rises like an amphitheatre above the Yonne, offering from its quays and bridges one of the most photographed townscapes in Burgundy, with the silhouettes of the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne, the Abbey of Saint-Germain and the clock tower against the sky. The Gothic cathedral, built from the 13th to the 16th century, has remarkable medieval stained glass, while the Abbey of Saint-Germain, one of the oldest in France, keeps exceptional Carolingian frescoes in its crypt.
The historic centre, tight around cobbled lanes and half-timbered houses, has kept a lively provincial atmosphere with many shops and cafés. A popular marina on the canalised Yonne, Auxerre is also a gateway to the nearby Chablis vineyards.
