Troyes Audio Guided Walking Tour 1h40 and 25 Audio Comments

You arrive on Liberation Square, freshly redesigned into a green and open space, the latest use of a square that has lived many functions. Check-out included an old cemetery and two churches.

If you are fond of urban art, in Troyes you will be served! The beautiful Sophie sends you a kiss, at the corner of Georges Clémenceau Street and Dampierre Quay.

You are on the old swing bridge where in 2018 a new living and poetic work was added to further animate the center of Troyes. This statue of a small dog causing a group of birds to take off is called Wait for Me and is the work of Belgian artist Tom Frantzen known for his creations that seem to come to life.

Here is another emblematic statue of Troyes that contributes greatly to the charm of the city. This is Lili, nicknamed the lady in the hat. It was born from the imagination of the Hungarian sculptor, Andras Lapis, who has a soft spot for hatted ladies.

Here is another statue by Belgian artist Tom Frantzen that offers you a dream panorama on the fountain dock with the prefecture and the basilica in the background!

On your left, you can see the sign of the cellar Saint-Pierre as well as the old inscription painted on the wall “Fabric spéciale de la Prunelle”. Because yes, this is where the famous Troyes apple is distilled.

Here you are facing the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, recognizable between a thousand with its only left turn. The origins of Christianity in Troyes go back a very long time and the facts and legends mix in a result that is a little blurry.

This charming little square takes us to the church of Saint-Nizier. Its roof reminds you of that of the Hospices de Beaune, and it is normal, its roof is made on the typical Burgundy model known for its splendid varnished tiles.

At the corner of Rue Kléber is Troyes’ oldest wooden half-house. This beautiful and perfectly restored building is called “La Maison du Dauphin” and dates from 1472.

You pass to your right, the entrance to the gardens of the Musée Saint-Loup. The former abbey was founded in the 9th century to welcome the relics of the bishop of Troyes, Lupus, who became holy Wolf at his death.

Here you are in the heart of the Champagne Bouchon, geographically, symbolically and now also literally. This work is the centerpiece of the rehabilitation of the quays of the Canal de la Haute Seine.

Here is a must-visit in all the cities of France. Les Halles. We are well placed to know that our regions have talent and that culinary specialties go beyond the days of the year in a country where we do not eat for a living, but rather live for food.

You pass through the pretty garden of the Rock, built in 1860 in the ditches of the old fortifications of the city. It is known mainly for its period bandstand.

This church, which today seems a little stuck in the middle of the new buildings that surround it, is the Church of Madeleine. It is the oldest in the city.

You are now using the most famous alley in the city. The one that is so narrow that cats pass from roof to roof without touching down. You can observe its classic 13th century pavement with a central channel for wastewater flow.

You now enter the courtyard of the Golden Mortar. This gem of the past allows us to see what the private courtyards look like hidden behind the timber-framed houses.

You certainly noticed during this visit that there were a surprising number of ancient wells! All very beautiful, with their stone margin and their beautifully worked wrought iron pulley.

Here you are, facing the church of Saint Pantaléon. Sources speak first here of a synagogue and then, in the 12th century, of a wooden church dedicated to the martyr Pantaleon. According to Christian tradition, Pantaleon was a physician known for his piety and miraculous healings.

You pass on your right, the fascinating Museum of Tool and Working-class Thought. This museum, very moving, offers a collection unique in the world, bringing together 12,000 hand-crafted tools dating from the 17th to the 19th century.

You enter the main shopping artery of the city. You will certainly know Troyes’ reputation for Shopping, especially with its famous factory stores! But know that Troyes’ textile fame is not new!

We are now, on the historic site of champagne fairs, which was called in the Middle Ages, the place of change. At that time, there was no hypermarket to find products from all over the world, but there were still huge fairs where merchants from all over Europe gathered.

At the end of the square is the Church of Saint-Jean-du-Point of Sale. There was already a parish there in the 9th century. It was even in this church that Louis the Bégue, King of France, was consecrated for the second time at the Council of Troyes.

This beautiful wood-framed house that makes the corner is the Baker’s House. Today it is a cultural centre, but it is above all the symbol of all the Trojan heritage. It was the first to be renovated in 1964, instead of being razed as planned.

Here you are now at a crossroads between wood and stone with traditional half-timbered houses on the left and a beautiful alignment of 19th century bourgeois buildings on the right. But I would like to draw your attention to the facade of the City Inn.

Here you are in front of the sumptuous Basilica of Saint Urban. It is said to be the example of the perfect Gothic. Troyes built this basilica in splendid Gothic style, it was for the son of a Troyes saver, Jacques Pantaléon, who lived a stunning ecclesiastical career and was elected Pope in 1261, under the name of Urban IV.