Thirteen kilometres west of Alésia, the small fortress town of SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS sits on a rocky bluff, an extraordinarily beautiful little place of cobbled lanes, medieval gateways and ancient gardens cascading down to the River Armançon. All roads here lead to place Notre-Dame, a handsome square dominated by the large thirteenth-century church of Notre-Dame, another Viollet-le-Duc restoration, characterized by its huge entrance porch and the narrowness of its nave. The best view is from the east in place de l'Ancienne-Comédie, past the finely sculpted north transept door (depicting the Life of Doubting Thomas), with a couple of Burgundy snails, symbol of Burgundy's culinary traditions, carved on the flanking columns. Inside, the windows of the second chapel on the left commemorate American soldiers of World War I – Semur was the general headquarters of the 78th division, and the battlefields were not far away. In the same chapel a masterly Sluteresque polychrome Entombment dates from the fifteenth century, as do some fine windows, dedicated by the butchers' and drapers' guilds and illustrating their trades.Down the street in front of the church and off to the left you come to the four sturdy towers of Semur's once powerful castle, all that is left after the body of the fortress was dismantled in 1602 because of its utility to enemies of the French crown. You can explore the winding streets around the castle – there's scarcely a street in town without some building of note – and continue down to the delightful stretch of river between the Pont des Minimes and the Pont Joly, from where there's a dramatic view of town. At the otherwise not very interesting town museum on rue J.-J.-Collenot (daily except Tues 2–5/6pm; free), ask to see the library, which has a fantastic collection of illuminated manuscripts and early printed books. Cheese connoisseurs might like to take a twelve-kilometre hop further west on the Avallon road to Époisses, not just for its village and Château (July & Aug daily except Tues 10am–noon & 3–6pm; €4.80), but for its distinctive soft orange-skinned cheeses washed in marc de Bourgogne.
Pages in section ‘Semur-en-Auxois’: Practicalities.
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