Cities
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- 1 Auxerre — with a relatively compact old town, Auxerre is pleasant to walk through and features some beautiful, very old buildings including the Old Abbey of St. Germain, whose crypt contains frescos from the time of Charlemagne
- 2 Avallon — small walled town on a rocky outcrop with possible Arthurian links
- 3 Chablis — home to the most famous Burgundy white wine
- 4 Migennes — small town with a great market hall known for its local food and drink
- 5 Sens — historically important city with a famous Gothic cathedral and other striking buildings from those heady times in its past
- 6 Vézelay — hill village that's home to the famous Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, start of many a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
Other destinations
[edit]Understand
[edit]Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]There are regional trains (TER) from Paris-Bercy to this department practically every hour, with stops in Sens (just under 1 hour), Joigny and Laroche-Migennes (just under 1½ hours); five times daily also to Auxerre (approx. 1 hr 45 min), twice daily to Sermizelles, Vézelay and Avallon.
Rail traffic operates mainly from Auxerre-Saint-Gervais station, Laroche-Migennes station and Sens statio. Daily and regular trains connect Paris Bercy to Auxerre. Most of these trains originate and terminate in Avallon and Clamecy.
By road
[edit]The A6 motorway crosses the department, serving Auxerre, Sens and Avallon in particular. The A19 joins the A5 near Sens.
By air
[edit]Most air traffic is carried out from Auxerre-Branches Airport, although its activity is severely limited by demographics and the proximity of Paris airports.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure, near Arcy-sur-Cure, have Stone Age cave paintings dating from around 28,000 to 33,000 BC.
- Abbey and Basilica of Ste-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay: important Romanesque monastery and pilgrimage church, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Castles and palaces
[edit]- Ratilly Castle is a fortified four-winged castle with massive round towers at its four corners dating from around 1270. It was built as a moated castle, but over time it was converted into a palace; today it serves as a cultural centre with concerts and exhibitions by contemporary artists, 50 km southeast of Auxerre.
- Guédelon, where a castle has been under construction since 1997 using only 13th-century techniques. Near Treigny, 45 km southwest of Auxerre.
- Castle and estate of Saint-Fargeau, about 45 km southwest of Auxerre.
- Ancy-le-Franc Castle
- Tanlay Castle
- Maulnes Castle in Cruzy-le-Chatel
Museums
[edit]- Colette Museum in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye commemorates the writer, variety artist and journalist Colette (1873–1954), the first woman to receive a state funeral in France.
- Museum of the Adventure of the Sound: Sound adventures in Saint-Fargeau, collection of more than 1000 gramophones, radios and mechanical musical instruments.
- Centre Regional d'Art Contemporary at the Château de Tremblay in Fontenoy.
Do
[edit]- Each year the Festival du Chablisien is held May to June in Chablis, featuring classical, jazz, and world music.
- Canals:
- Canal de Bourgogne connects the Yonne and the Saône rivers. It is suitable for navigation with pleasure boats and houseboats, lined with a cycle path, the Véloroute du canal de Bourgogne.
- Canal du Nivernais connects the Loire and the Seine rivers. It is one of the most scenic canals in France, and is suitable for navigation with pleasure boats and houseboats. The canal is lined by a largely asphalted cycle path, the Véloroute du canal du Nivernais.
Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]With the Chablis vineyard, Yonne has one of the five vineyards of Burgundy. Chablis is made with Chardonnay, a grape that grows particularly well in the region.