Auxerre is a historic city with many medieval monuments. Famous Burgundian wines, including the famous Chablis, are produced in its vicinity.
The city was founded by the Romans on a trade route. After the fall of the Empire, it very quickly became the capital of the bishopric, and then a river port developed here, from which transported, among others, Burgundian wines. Today, numerous monuments remind us of the city's former glory.
The most important monument and main attraction of Auxerre is the gothic cathedral of St. Stephen. It stands on the site of a 6th-century church, the elements of which were discovered underneath the building. In the crypt you can see Romanesque frescoes, the cathedral treasury hides, among others relics of saints.
In addition to the cathedral, the second important church in Auxerre is the monastery church of Saint-Germain. Saint Germanus was a local bishop at the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries and was buried in the monastery he founded. In the 8th century, the Benedictines were brought in to take care of him and established a school known throughout France.
Within the old town of Auxerre, many half-timbered houses, a gothic clock tower and several other churches have also been preserved.
