Laon, Medieval fortress city in Hauts-de-France, France
Laon is a small town perched on a limestone plateau in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, divided between an upper and a lower town. The upper town preserves its medieval layout with narrow streets, ramparts and towers, while the lower town accommodates modern residential areas and the railway station.
The Romans built a military post here, which developed into a major Frankish settlement and episcopal seat in the 5th century. During the Middle Ages, the site became the seat of a powerful county and witnessed several sieges during religious conflicts.
The cathedral is famous for the ox-head sculptures on its western towers, a tribute to the animals that hauled building material up to the plateau during its construction. Visitors today notice the many staircases and narrow lanes of the upper town, which shape daily life in this elevated urban core.
The cable railway connects the lower town to the upper town, saving visitors the steep climb on foot up numerous staircases. The upper town is easily explored on foot, as its size is manageable and most points of interest lie close together.
Beneath the upper town lies a network of tunnels and cellars originally used for stone extraction and later as shelter during wartime. Some of these underground passages stretch more than 100 meters and run through the plateau at several levels.
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