Auxerre rewards a day of walking. The old centre clusters on a promontory above the river Yonne, with the cathedral dominating the skyline. The Abbey of Saint-Germain, a few hundred metres from the cathedral, is older and less visited but contains some of the finest Carolingian frescoes surviving in France. The Tour de l'Horloge, a 15th-century clock tower straddling the rue de l'Horloge, marks the entrance to the old town and is the city's most recognisable image.
Wine is the other major draw: Chablis is 20 km east, and the Auxerrois vineyards immediately around the town produce excellent white wines from Chardonnay, Aligoté, and the rare Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre appellation.