The Troyes cathedral chevet
Let's come back inside the "cork".
The town is bustling with lively shopping streets and remarkably well-preserved
historical buildings that have been well restored in recent years. Half-timbered
architecture prevails here, as it does in the immediate vicinity of the Relais
Saint-Jean. Tall half-timbered and corbelled buildings are everywhere to be
seen. You will see marvellously carved beam ends a few centimetres over your
head, featuring the faces of the people who lived here in the Middle Ages.
This was the time of large champagne fairs and the town was at the peak of
its prosperity.
It almost entirely burned down in 1524. But it rose out of its ashes, more
magnificent than ever before, and we can witness this epic period of history
at every street corner. It is hard to
miss these marvellous Renaissance houses that have remained intact over all
these years.
One is also irresistibly drawn to the town's nine churches, with their fabulous
stained glass and unique 16C statues.
The town's museums, a window to the town's past, are also a must, starting
with the Museum of Fine Art and the Museum of Modern Art, and not forgetting
the Museum of Hat making or the Tool Museum.
Never a dull moment in Troyes!
