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Latest Auxerre hotel reviews
Pro
specially marked tourist trail to see the remarkable range of styles through the ages and historical roots here in Auxerre, rather photogenic!
Con
quiet
In a nutshell
A nice spot off the beaten path, and a nice base to explore Norhter Burgundy
See the Art Museum and Bell-Tower at St. Germanus
hquittner Says: A 12C Romanesque belfry is situated to the West of the other religious buildins at St. Germanus. The space results from the destruction of the nave of the desanctified church. Other conventual buildings of the Abbey centered around the remnants of the cloister: a sacristy,...
Walk to the Abbey Church of St. Germanus
hquittner Says: St. Germanus is the ancient religious center of Auxerre. It was a Benedictine Abbey in the 6C. Remains odf a later Carolingian two-level crypt lie beneath the later 13 & 15C Gothic church. We visited the crypt but could not take pictures of the frescos. The church fabric...
Do Not Miss the Crypt of the Cathedral
hquittner Says: The crypt is the only remnant from the previous Romanesque church and has massive groined vault construction tha t supprots the base of the magnificent Gothic choir. In the crypt are spectacular frescos of the 11 and 13C. One is of Christ and 4 Angels on white horses (my...
hquittner Says: The treasury of Auxerre cathedral is particularly rich in antique fine arts: enameled reliquary caskets as early as the 12C, and equally old portable polyptych altars. There are old hand scribed music books and early printed and hand painted ones as well (early 1500's). If...
Study the Cathedral's Stained Glass
hquittner Says: The stained glass windows of Auxerre range from 13C medallion style in the choir area, with vivid reds and blues, to 16C lancets below the transept Rose windows. The early works reproduce such items as the story of David and Goliath, the Tree of Jesse lives of Saints (eg....
More Sculpture Is Inside the Cathedral
hquittner Says: The sculpture inside of the cathedral is decorative, but is variably realistic or even licentious under the consoles in the South transept. In other places they are mascarones that are symbolic, fanciful or historical. All are of high quality and unusual in such profusion....
Look At the Transepts and Crossing
hquittner Says: The transepts , their Rose windows and the crossing were added in the mid-16C. The tympanum of the South Door is devoted to the stoning of St. Stephen while the north tympanum displays the Life of St. Germanus.
hquittner Says: This is Flamboyant verticality at its acme (although only 99 feet high). The fine limestone used at Auxerre allowed forthe elimination of capitals on the vertical columns so that they could run unimpeded into the vaulting. (The buttresses are internal). This is accompanied...
Then the South Portal-West Facade
hquittner Says: The tympanum and lintel are intact here. The story is of the early active years of John and Jesus and its three levels includes the baptism and other events. On the flank bases are the story of David and Bathsheba somewhat damaged but showing skill at limning the human...
The North Door of the W. Facade Is Next
hquittner Says: The tympanum is gone but the lintel shows the Coronation of Our Lady. The recessed arches depict scenes from her life (hard to decipher). On the bases of the arms of the doorway are medallions with scenes from Genesis carved in fine relief. On the right the creation of Adam...
Examine the West Facade of St. Stephen's Cathedral
hquittner Says: In 1217 it was decided to demolish the Romanesque church and build a cathedral in the new modern French style. The choir was the first part built (1234) over the retained ancient crypt. Apparently the old nave remained until the early 14C, but then was replaced with a daring...
mustertal Says: This is a small Museum, housed in an old Chateaux , it's more of an educational museum mainly for children as it has various "hands on " exhibitions. There is a permanent collection of fossils and minerals. At present there is a Polar exhibition showing polar exploration and...
mustertal Says: The house of the Francois Brochet the wood sculptor, is open to the public and free of charge.There are a couple of rooms showing his art work as well as his colourful figures.It isn't a large exhibition, but if you are interested in his work it's worth a visit.
mustertal Says: This pretty little chapel houses a collection of colourful wood sculptures. They are all done by a local artist named Francois Brochet. You can also spot some of his work dotted around the town. They are brightly coloured and certainly put a smile on your face.Entrance is...
mustertal Says: This Gothic style cathedral dates back to the 13th century. It has some beautiful stained glass windows, these are reputed to be some of the best preserved windows in France.The crypt is worth a visit, it has a very an unusual mural on the wall.Entrance is free, apart from...
angiebabe Says: The main tourist office is down here at the river and starts its walking tour here - here it recommends too to get the best panoramic vantage point of the town ie in their opinion to admire 'one of Frances most beautiful panoramas'! (and the town's not even mentioned in my...
Taverne de Maitre Kante: Seafood and Bistro
mustertal Says: What can I say about this great little restaurant, well, we visited twice, mainly because we were made to feel very welcome, the ambiance was just right, and, the meal was excellent.Our first meal was in the evening, our second one was a Sunday lunch time. The meal was very...
Chateau de Prunoy (Not Open Anymore?)
hquittner Says: It was 15 years ago that we spent two weeks driving around Burgundy. A tour agent located a fine chateau experience for us in the Chateau de Prunoy outside of Charny about 45 km from Auxerre. We spent three nights there (including breakfasts and dinners) in total (3* price)...
hquittner Says: The old town of Auxerre has much that is similar to Rouen: old churches and a cathedral, a 16C Horloge and bell-tower, many half-timbered houses. But atypically one also encounters quaint modern polychromed statuary of famous townfolk by Francois Brochet such as the poetess...
Lilasel Says: There are many different and rather funny statues in the centre. The statue of an old lady will surprise you (look the picture - the right side). This familiar image recalls one of the most important French poetesses of the 20th century: Marie Noel. She was from Auxerre...
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Plan a Auxerre vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Auxerre locals
Can't be missed. Auxerre, like many other French cities, has a Grand Horloge. It was built in the 15th century on the fondation of Gallo Roman tower. First it...
Q: Hi. I wonder if anyone can tell much which bus I can take from the station (SNCF) to the town centre? I had a look at the...
A: Nevermind, I found the info at http://www.vivacite.fr/master_page.asp?rubrique=22
Read 2 Replies
1
What a surprise! So many beautiful old buildings!
The city of Auxerre and the Auxerre region Tourist Information Centre have created a pedestrian route in Auxerre's town centre with markings to follow accompanied by a brochure , that i was given when...
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I've got some interesting experiences in Auxerre. I'd love to share with you the 13 tips I've written, the 67 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
3
Auxerre was an important spiritual centre, a big market place for timber and wine, a town of songs and poetry. Today it is an active industrial and agricultural centre. By the way, get used to the...
4
I've got some interesting experiences in Auxerre. I'd love to share with you the 6 tips I've written, the 19 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
5
Why not start a page about this splendid town with a romantic twist? The French certainly know how to dress for a wedding. The idea of dressing down, like in my country The Netherlands, does not apply...
Build your own Auxerre page
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