www.ot-auxerre.fr. Of Roman origin, Auxerre is the capital of this part of Burgundy, and the centre of a wine-growing region which includes the renowned Chablis vineyards.

Spread out over two hills beside the River Yonne, the attractive town centre boasts a wealth of fine Renaissance houses and an unusual 15thC Tour de Horloge with two dials, one for the time and the other for tracking the movements of the sun and stars.

Towards the river, the Flamboyant Gothic Cathédrale de Saint-Etienne was founded in 1215 on the site of an earlier Christian sanctuary. It took three centuries to build, and the imposing interior, with 15thC vaulting, contains fine 13thC stained glass in the ambulatory which is reckoned to rival the glories of Chartres. A Romanesque crypt is decorated with rare 11thC frescoes. Further north, along rue Cochois, the 13th-15thC Abbaye de Saint-Germain occupies the remains of a 6thC Benedictine foundation. A striking Romanesque belfry stands alone to the west; and the Carolingian crypts house some of France’s oldest frescoes.

Well-worth a quick visit is the Musée Leblanc-Duvernoy, (see www.musees-bourgogne.org), where you will find notable collections of 18thC Beauvais tapestries, decorative European earth-enware, paintings and temporary exhibitions in a fine traditional town house.

A favourite local camera angle is the Pont Paul Bert, named for Auxerre’s most famous son, the 19thC physiologist and statesman. From there, stroll along the quayside to the picturesque Quartier Marine, an absorbing spot for crafts shops and antique hunting.