Saint Germain Abbey in Auxerre.

© Eric Bascol/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Abbaye St-Germain

Yonne


This ancient abbey with its dramatic flying buttresses began as a basilica above the tomb of St Germain, the 5th-century bishop who made Auxerre an important Christian centre. By medieval times it was attracting pilgrims from all over Europe. The crypt, accessible by tour (in French, with English handout), contains some of Europe's finest examples of Carolingian architecture. Supported by 1200-year-old oak beams, the walls and vaulted ceiling are decorated with 9th-century frescoes; the innermost sanctum houses St Germain's tomb.

Housed around the abbey's cloister, the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (admission free) displays rotating contemporary art exhibits, prehistoric artefacts and Gallo-Roman sculptures.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yonne attractions

1. Tour des Prisons

0.1 MILES

The striking late-15th-century Tour des Prisons is the lone remaining tower from the original stone fortifications surrounding Auxerre's medieval Abbaye…

2. Cathédrale St-Étienne

0.18 MILES

This vast Gothic cathedral and its stately 68m-high bell tower dominate Auxerre's skyline. The choir, ambulatory and some of the vivid stained-glass…

3. Hôtel de Ville

0.33 MILES

Flanked by colourful half-timbered buildings, Auxerre's town hall forms the centrepiece of the medieval centre's most attractive square.

4. Tour de l'Horloge

0.34 MILES

In the heart of Auxerre's partly medieval commercial precinct, the golden, spire-topped Tour de l'Horloge was built in 1483 as part of the city's…

5. Église St-Pierre

0.39 MILES

Marked by Gothic architectural elements, this church between the river and the medieval centre is a prominent Auxerre landmark.

6. Église St-Eusèbe

0.49 MILES

Presided over by a 12th-century bell tower, this church is a convenient landmark in Auxerre's medieval centre.

7. Abbaye de Pontigny

10 MILES

Founded in 1114, Abbaye de Pontigny rises from the lush mustard fields 15km north of Chablis. The spectacular abbatiale (abbey church) is one of the last…

8. Église St-Martin

10.6 MILES

The 12th- and 13th-century Gothic Église St-Martin, first founded in the 9th century by monks fleeing the Norman attacks on Tours, is two short blocks…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "france/auxerre/attractions/abbaye-st-germain/a/poi-sig/1192582/1317002",
      "destination": "Yonne",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "France",
      "region": "Yonne",
      "position": "superzone"
    }