Semur-En-Auxois was built in a bend of the Armançon River, on a remarkable, isolated rocky promontory. The Site Patrimonial Remarquable brings together the town’s medieval character and the landscape of the rocky promontory. During a stay, you can explore its architectural history and walking routes as distinct highlights.
City Gate and Collegiate Church: Architectural History Spanning Several Centuries
The Porte Guillier is a 14th-century city gate and was classified as a historic monument on December 7, 1923. Construction of the Collégiale Notre-Dame began in the 1220s with the apse and was completed in the 1470s with the portal’s flamboyant decorations. These time spans offer two different perspectives on the city: the Porte represents a 14th-century structure, while the Collégiale’s architectural history extends from the 13th to the 15th century.
The interior of the Collégiale also offers specific cultural points of interest. Its chapels and triforium contain stained-glass windows, furnishings and sculptures. The church thus invites visitors to explore both its long construction history and the details of its furnishings. Anyone interested in architecture can consider the development from the start of construction on the apse to the portal decorations alongside the individual furnishings.
Collections in the Keep and Museum
The keep, with the Tour de l'Orle d'Or, displays collections assembled over time across four levels. The Musée de Semur-En-Auxois focuses on other subjects: its three levels and eight rooms showcase natural history, geological and archaeological collections, as well as works of fine art. The museum also preserves more than 10,000 geological specimens.
The geological focus also includes the Sinemurian, a geological stage named after Semur-En-Auxois and presented at the museum. Here, the town’s name is directly linked to a geological term. The keep and museum thus offer different ways to explore collections: the keep focuses on items assembled over time, while the museum organizes its collections by subject, with a notable geological theme.
Choose Walks by Route and Surroundings
The « Regards d’artistes » route offers two circuits: a roughly three-kilometre trail along the Armançon’s meandering bend and a one-kilometre route through the cobbled lanes of the town centre. The two circuits differ both in their stated length and their route: the longer one follows the river bend, while the shorter one passes through the lanes in the centre.
At Les Chaumes, the focus is on a signposted network of trails that circles the town, offers viewpoints and provides varied walks from one Chaume to the next. These different types of routes complement the town’s cultural attractions: the « Regards d’artistes » route features two circuits with approximate distances, while Les Chaumes focuses on viewpoints and walks between the Chaumes.
Discover more destinations: Curtil-Vergy, Chanceaux, Marey-Lès-Fussey, Merceuil, Magny-lès-Aubigny, Jossigny, Bligny-lès-Beaune, Minot.
For the main travel overview: Cote-Dor.
