Yonne: Pilgrimage History, Romanesque Art and Landscapes

Vineyards, cultivated fields, bocage, forests, waterways and canals shape the landscape of Yonne. The combination of these landscape features offers different settings for a trip where nature and outdoor activities can take their place alongside art, architecture and history. Yonne has more than 200 visitor attractions. This diversity is especially vivid in places that focus on a craft, a building or a historic route.

Landscapes and Outdoor Activities

For hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders, the network of trails includes nearly 3,261 kilometres of maintained, signposted routes. The total length may change gradually. The rivers of Yonne also offer opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. Walks, rides by bike or on horseback, and activities on the water provide different ways to experience the landscape actively.

The landscape around Vézelay also brings culture and nature together: the Vézelay heritage extends beyond the hill to include fields, meadows and forests. In the Vézelien, Romanesque churches, châteaux, fortified settlements, calvaries and former pilgrimage routes are also part of the historic landscape. When planning a trip, you can combine a cultural focus with a closer look at the landscape around it.

Romanesque Art, Pilgrimage Routes and Architecture

The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay is considered a masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture. Its importance is closely tied to the town’s pilgrimage history: it was believed that the church held the relics of Saint Mary Magdalene, after which Vézelay became an important pilgrimage destination. The pilgrimage was linked to a route to Santiago de Compostela. This history gives the basilica and the former pilgrimage routes of the Vézelien a shared historical context.

The Renaissance château of Maulnes offers a very different architectural focus. It was built between 1566 and 1572 or 1573 on a pentagonal plan arranged around a stairwell. The château has been listed as a Monument historique since 11 July 1942. Its layout and staircase make it a particularly clear example of how an unusual design takes shape in a specific building.

In Noyers-sur-Serein, a walk along the fortifications passes 19 defensive towers, some of which are visible or have been preserved. The Church of Notre-Dame adds a later building phase to this medieval townscape: it was built between 1491 and 1515 and is a Gothic church. In Sens, Saint-Étienne Cathedral is considered the first and mother of Gothic cathedrals. The crypts associated with Saint-Germain contain well-preserved Carolingian wall paintings.

The Grande Grotte at Arcy-sur-Cure offers a much older glimpse into history. Traces of mammoths and ibex, as well as children’s handprints, can be seen there. These depictions and prints reach far beyond the medieval and early modern buildings, expanding the range of cultural sites to include prehistoric traces.

Crafts and Experiences

At Guédelon, craftspeople are building a 13th-century castle in a former quarry surrounded by forest. The construction site illustrates medieval building techniques through a range of trades, including stoneworking, masonry, carpentry, blacksmithing, tile-making and rope-making. What makes this destination appealing is that the building methods are not only visible in the completed structure, but are also made understandable through the crafts involved.

For a bike ride, the Tour de Bourgogne à vélo follows a canal towpath near Les Activités de l’Haliotis. Visitors can also steer electric boats at Les Activités de l’Haliotis without a boating licence. Check whether these activities are available before your trip. In the Vézelien, AOC wines from Vézelay, along with local producers and craftspeople, add a culinary and artisanal dimension to the area’s cultural and landscape diversity.

Yonne as a Starting Point for Planning Your Trip

If you are looking for a hotel in Yonne, start by considering the themes you would like to shape your trip: Romanesque architecture and pilgrimage history, medieval crafts, Renaissance architecture, cave art, or activities on trails and rivers. Use these interests to guide your further planning, and when choosing a hotel, check whether the places and distances suit the visits you have in mind. This way, you can choose accommodation around your itinerary without limiting yourself to just one kind of trip.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Moulins-sur-Ouanne, Saint-Agnan, Courgenay, Les Sièges, Vaumort, Mézilles, Nailly, Passy, Sougères-En-Puisaye, Sermizelles, Merry-Sur-Yonne, Savigny-sur-Clairis, Lucy-sur-Yonne, Vézelay, Vault-De-Lugny, Malay-Le-Grand, Toucy, Fontenay-Près-Vézelay, Arcy-Sur-Cure, Tonnerre, Cravant, Villefargeau, Armeau, Sens, Brienon-Sur-Armançon, Taingy, Poilly-Sur-Serein, Villeperrot, Cudot, Saint-Georges-Sur-Baulche, Beauvoir, La Belliole, Courgis, Saint-Julien-du-Sault, Bierry-les-Belles-Fontaines, Saint-Fargeau, Pacy-sur-Armançon, Cheny, Mélisey, Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Charentenay, Villeblevin, Accolay, Lézinnes, Saint-Valérien, Villiers-les-Hauts, Villeneuve-la-Guyard, Sainpuits, Saint-Privé, Brosses, Vergigny, Vinneuf, Saint-Père, Rogny-Les-Sept-Écluses, Montigny-La-Resle, Châtel-Censoir, Aillant-Sur-Tholon, Andryes, Annay-Sur-Serein, Cussy-Les-Forges, Domecy-Sur-Cure, Jully, Sennevoy-Le-Bas, Sommecaise, Mailly-Le-Château, Vézinnes, Magny, Druyes-Les-Belles-Fontaines, Malay-Le-Petit, Champcevrais, Charny, Noyers, Venoy, Ancy-Le-Franc, Bléneau, Chemilly-Sur-Serein, Vignes, Arthonnay, Coulanges-La-Vineuse, Vincelles, Fontenay-Sous-Fouronnes, Lindry, Chemilly-Sur-Yonne, Saint-Germain-Des-Champs, Sainte-Vertu, Maillot, Saint-Cyr-Les-Colons, Paroy-Sur-Tholon, Pierre-Perthuis, Turny, Bussy-Le-Repos, Saint-Clément, Préhy, L'Isle-sur-Serein, Héry, Poilly-sur-Tholon, Montillot, Champigny, Roffey, Rouvray, Lainsecq, Crain, Quenne, Maligny, La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne, Yrouerre, Lignorelles, Ligny-Le-Châtel, Jussy, Marmeaux, Vermenton, Cézy, Diges, Dicy, Périgny, Monéteau, Joigny, Escolives-Sainte-Camille, Chablis, Bèze, Appoigny, La Ferté-Loupière, Saint-Florentin, Cornant, Irancy, Collan, Junay, Thorigny-Sur-Oreuse, Champignelles, Courson-Les-Carrières, Thory, Chassignelles, Étais-La-Sauvin, Chamoux, Molinons, Collemiers, Saint-Bris-Le-Vineux, Nitry, Villebougis, Lixy, Sauvigny-Le-Bois, Pourrain, Auxerre, Avallon, Dissangis, Épineuil, Malicorne, Pisy, Pontaubert, Quarré-Les-Tombes, Sacy, Sarry, Thury, Treigny, Vareilles, Villeneuve-L'archevêque, Voutenay-Sur-Cure, Châtel-Gérard, Chaumot, Vallery, Merry-Sec, Villy, Courlon-sur-Yonne, Piffonds, Escamps, Tanlay, Champs-Sur-Yonne, Merry-La-Vallée, Villeneuve-Sur-Yonne, Villeneuve-Les-Genêts

For the broader travel overview: Burgundy.