Auxerre Audio guided walking tour 1h15 and 21 audio comments

Here you are on the quays of the city, which runs along the Yonne, the river that gave the name to this department of Burgundy.

We are currently in the Marine district, once one of the most important areas of the city, now one of the most visited.

The Rue de la Marine, the heart of the district of the same name, bears traces of Auxerre’s long history.

Place Saint-Nicolas is a charming and pleasant place, certainly one of the most picturesque in Auxerre, marking the boundary between the Yonne riverbanks and the old centre of Auxerre.

This tower, erected in the 12th century, was added at that time to the Abbey of Saint-Germain, which is right next door, to replace the old tower built a century earlier.

This abbey is one of Auxerre’s must-see monuments, and it is an opportunity to reflect on the history of this city considered the cultural capital of Burgundy.

Here you are in front of one of the towers that constituted the fortified enclosure that surrounded the Abbey of Saint-Germain.

Turn around and admire the facade facing you. It belongs to the chapel of the Seminary. Unfortunately, it is closed to visitors but its exterior reveals a fine example of the city’s architecture in the 18th century.

Here you have a very nice glimpse of a part of the cathedral, and in particular its imposing tower. Rising 68 metres above the rooftops of Auxerre, it is the cathedral’s special feature: it consists of only one tower, which is quite rare, since cathedrals usually have two.

Here you are in front of the Cathedral of St. Stephen which, at 68 meters high, is the tallest building in the city.

Auxerre is a medieval town that still bears many traces of its history, including the wood-framed houses that decorate the city’s cobblestone streets.

On your right is Place des Cordeliers, one of the largest in the city. Today it has a large parking lot in its centre, but at the time, as early as the 13th century, there was a convent, the Cordeliers convent. Les Cordeliers is the name given to an order of monks who wore a rope as a belt

We arrive at the Town Inn Square, one of the most picturesque. We are surrounded here by beautiful half-timbered houses and, facing you, the City Inn building. It was built in the middle of the 15th century, to allow representatives to gather in an official place to take municipal decisions.

I invite you here to look up to admire the beautiful Clock Tower. Formerly a prison, this tower has a clock that was added in the 15th century, put here under the orders of King Charles VIII simply to allow the inhabitants of the city to know the time at all times.

This square in the city centre is one of the most representative since it unveils one of the symbols of Auxerre, which is none other than a well-known figure: Cadet Roussel.

It was on the foundations of a 7th century monastery that this church was built: it took more than 400 years to build.

If Auxerre is the city of the famous Cadet Roussel, it is also the city of many personalities, less known, of course, but equally interesting.

Marie Rouget was born in Auxerroise, France, and spent her life in this Burgundian town, writing her works with passion and dedication.

Here you are in front of the Auxerre Theatre, a true cultural centre of the city. Construction of the building began in 1938 on the site of a former Labour Exchange. It was originally intended to be a People’s House, a meeting place for working-class inhabitants.

An essential monument of the Auxerre heritage, Saint-Pierre Church reveals a fascinating blend of Gothic architecture and the Renaissance style used to restore it in the 16th and 17th centuries, such as its facade and tower.

From the Paul Bert Bridge, you have an emblematic view of Auxerre! The city’s monuments adorn the banks of the Yonne and its boats moored along the quays.