Attractions and Places To See around Vallan - Top 20

The site is open from 10 a.m. and can be visited free of charge. There are deckchairs in the cloister for a shady and quiet break. The museums are worth a visit. You learn a lot about the history of the city, which dates back to at least the 5th century. You can see from the church that it has been rebuilt several times. The archaeological crypt, which is located under the forecourt of today's church, is very impressive. You should plan enough time for a visit. It took me almost two hours to get an initial overview. "The former abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is located north of the city center of Auxerre. Bishop Germanus of Auxerre founded it and provided his family's land outside the former city walls as well as land to ensure its existence. The first building of the monastery was a simple chapel. At the beginning of the 6th century, the Merovingian Queen Chrodechild, the wife of King Clovis I, had the chapel expanded into a basilica. Fires in the 11th and 12th centuries required extensive renovation work on the nave in the second half of the 12th century; Of the Romanesque double tower facade that was built, only the southern tower has been preserved. The monastery was partially destroyed by Huguenots in 1567, secularized in 1810 and partially demolished the following year. The nave was reduced to its Gothic parts, which were given a neo-Gothic façade in 1817: As a result of this measure, the remaining south tower now has no connection to the basilica. Today the Musée-Abbaye Saint-Germain is located on the site of the abbey. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire d'Auxerre." More about the history here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Germain_d%E2%80%99Auxerre

The stronghold of Belombre was the seat of part of the lordship of Escolives held, in 1507, by the lieutenant general of Auxerre, Blanchet David. Marie David brought it to Jacques de Meung dit de La Ferté, who died on June 4, 1589, massacred by the Leaguers of Auxerre. Madeleine de La Ferté Meung, her granddaughter, transmitted Bellombre to the La Bussière family and Catherine de La Bussière brought it to the Girard d'Azy family. The children of Paul de Girard sold it, around 1656, to François de Chastellux, who ceded this first half of Escolives in 1670, to Robert Chaponnel, Receiver General of Finances. He died on October 28, 1678 without issue, while he was undertaking the reconstruction of the castle. Anne Robineau, receiver general of Finances in Provence, who carried out the project developed by Chaponnel and built a new castle on the land surrounded by a moat on the site of the medieval manor. In 1709, Louis Gayot, buyer, united the two shares of the land of Escolives before selling the Château de Bélombre in November 1726, to Joseph Le Muet, King's attorney in the bailiwick of Auxerre. Rosalie Le Muet married in 1804, Jean Jacques Claude Baudenet d'Annoux. Their son, Louis-Hugues, who feared the dangerous invasions of the waters of the Yonne, decided to demolish the castle which he rebuilt on vast basements around 1870. The estate is located on the left bank of the canal. It is a large single-story building. Corner chains and harped stone legs support the entablature and an attic floor in the overhang of the broken roof. The moat and the stone bridge decorated with elegant 18th century ironwork have been preserved. (1) MH protected elements: facades and roofs; water pit ; the pillars of the entrance gate; the vestibule and the interior staircase with its wrought iron banister: registration by decree of December 6, 1977. The facades and roofs of the outbuildings; the terrace located to the southwest of the castle and the sleeping bridge; the bridge thrown over the moat, in front of the northeast facade of the castle; the gardens surrounding the castle; the perspective alley and the double water alley: registration by decree of June 7, 1993 The Chateau de Belombre 89290 Escolives-Sainte-Camille, private property, cannot be visited.

The site is open from 10 a.m. and can be visited free of charge. Deckchairs are available in the cloister for a shady and quiet break. The museums are worth a visit. You learn a lot about the history of the city, which dates back to at least the 5th century. The church shows that it has been rebuilt several times. The archaeological crypt located under the forecourt of today's church is very impressive. You should plan enough time for a visit. It took me almost two hours to get a first overview. "The former Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is located north of the city center of Auxerre. Bishop Germanus of Auxerre founded it and provided his family with land outside the then city walls and lands to ensure its existence. The first building of the monastery was a simple chapel. At the beginning of the 6th century, the Merovingian Queen Chrodechild, the wife of King Clovis I, had the chapel converted into a basilica. Fires in the 11th and 12th centuries necessitated extensive renovations to the nave in the second half of the 12th century; Only the southern tower of the Romanesque double-tower facade that was erected at the time has survived. The monastery was partially destroyed by Huguenots in 1567, secularized in 1810 and partially demolished the following year. The nave was reduced to its Gothic parts, which were given a neo-Gothic facade in 1817: the preserved south tower is now not connected to the basilica as a result of this measure. The Musée-Abbaye Saint-Germain is now on the site of the abbey. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire d'Auxerre." More about the story here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Germain_d%E2%80%99Auxerre

The cathedral is open for tours during the day and this is not to be missed! It is a major work of French Gothic architecture and impresses with its high, light-flooded vaults and colorful windows. "The cathedral is located in the center of the old town on a hill above the Yonne. Saint-Étienne was begun in 1215. Today's Gothic cathedral is the fifth building on this site. In 1567 the Huguenots sacked the city and the cathedral, which necessitated repairs, particularly to the choir glazing. The French Revolution caused countless damage to the building and its furnishings. The goldsmith's work was melted down, the church was transformed into a temple of reason, and the important statue of the suffering Stephen on the high altar only escaped destruction because it was turned into a suffering Marat in the bath. In 1840 Prosper Mérimée placed the cathedral under monument protection. Extensive restoration work took place throughout the 19th century." Much more about the history here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_von_Auxerre

View of the 18th century castle from the cycle path.

Rue du Temple also begins here heading south. The Templars had a headquarters on this street. There are a lot of small shops there and of course many beautiful houses. What you can't see at first glance is the entrance to a relatively large supermarket. The Monoprix food department is hidden behind the clothing department, which can be seen from the square.

The skipper's patron had his natural place on the banks of the Yonne river, on the very spot where the port has existed since time immemorial. The oldest charters mention the Port Saint-Nicolas. The fountain of the same name, formerly the Saint-Germain fountain, sprang up in the middle of the square, at the time when the enclosure of the city walls existed, and in the middle of this same square stood a stone cross. We can still see, at the corner of the old house n° 2, the statue of the great bishop of Myre, raised by the brotherhood of Saint-Nicolas and having at his feet a tank filled with small children who serve as his attributes. In 1339, the Book of the Hôtel-Dieu tells us that there was a Maison des Estuves or public baths in front of the Saint-Germain fountain. In 1626, the port of Saint-Nicolas was the scene of a violent tumult caused by the high cost of grain. A lady Noubert, from Dijon, who was driving two boats laden with wheat to Paris, was arrested at Auxerre on July 26 by the populace, who loudly demanded the sale of wheat at the market price. The provost, not knowing how to stop the riot, sanctioned the demands of the inhabitants and had the wheat sold. But Dame Noubert assigned the aldermen of Auxerre to the Parliament of Paris. We do not know the outcome of this case. The fountain supplied the district with drinking water until 1783. In 1909, the stone basin which adorned the square of the large fountains (Charles Surugue square) was installed in this square where it can still be seen. http://auxerre.histoire.free.fr/Ville/quartier_saint_germain/place_saint_nicolas.htm

Saint Stephen (Saint Etienne), to whom Auxerre Cathedral is dedicated, is one of the seven first deacons of the early Jerusalem community and is also the first martyr (martyr) of early Christianity. The church remembers him on Boxing Day, December 26th. When Stephen uttered his vision of the open heaven, "And being filled with the Holy Spirit, he looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts chapter 7 verse 55), the people were so indignant that that they drove him out of the city and stoned him.