Auxerre Cathedral, Gothic cathedral in Auxerre, France
Auxerre Cathedral is a Gothic church with two towers and an ornate western facade carved with stone details throughout. Inside, large stained glass windows fill the transepts with colored light, and beneath the floor lies an ancient crypt from earlier centuries.
Work on this cathedral began in the 13th century and continued through multiple building phases stretching across centuries. The northern tower took until the early 1500s to complete, showing how long the construction process lasted.
The cathedral remains a working place of worship where visitors can experience how faith and medieval craftsmanship have shaped the community over centuries. The space shows how religious devotion and artistic skill were woven together in medieval times.
The building welcomes visitors daily, and exploring the medieval crypt and the upper spaces takes time to do properly. Most people spend time looking at the windows before heading downstairs to see what lies beneath.
Inside, there is a special walkway circling the choir that lets visitors move around the sacred space without interrupting services taking place. This medieval design solution is uncommon and reveals how builders once balanced practical movement with religious observance.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
