The old town of Troyes is one of the best-preserved medieval town centres in France, and it sees only a fraction of the tourists that descend on Colmar or Strasbourg. The half-timbered houses — some dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, their upper floors cantilevered out over the street — line the lanes around the cathedral and along the Rue Champeaux and Rue des Chats.
Look for the bouchons: the narrow covered passages that cut between the main streets, originally used by tanners and merchants to move goods between the market halls and the river. The most atmospheric are around the Ruelle des Chats (Street of Cats), where the upper storeys of opposite houses nearly touch overhead. The Place Saint-Rémy and the area around the Basilique Saint-Urbain are good places to start. This is a neighbourhood for wandering without a fixed route — the urban grid is dense enough that you won't stray far from the centre.