Semur-en-Auxois is the kind of town you stop for because it’s on the way — and then stay longer than planned.
Perched above the Armançon River, it has the look of a proper medieval town without the performance of one. Or the tourists.
I stopped there on the way from Beaune to Vezelay and was delighted by its red roofs, cobbled lanes, and stony half-timbered architecture.
Semur has urban bones like Dijon: real fortifications, a bridge, a defined upper town, and civic scale. At the same time, it still has a village feel.
You can walk it end to end quickly, read its medieval layout, and feel like you’ve “seen” it without committing a full day.
In fact, it combines perfectly with Fontenay Abbey and the town of Flavigny, which I discuss below.
Things To Do In Semur-en-Auxois
To walk into the city, you walk cross the Pont Joly. Then head uphill through the Porte Sauvigny, which brings you straight into the historic center. The views from the bridge are magnificent.
Notre-Dame
The town’s church was built in the 11th century, rebuilt in the 13th century, and altered and expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The imposing facade is from the 14th century. It has two doughty towers and a vast porch.
One door has a beautiful tympanum depicting Doubting Thomas and the bringing of the gospel to the West Indies.
After you enter, you’ll first see a polychrome entombment from the late 15th century in the nave. You’ll see the usual carved pulpit and stone canopies.
The Lady Chapel on the north aisle side is the prettiest. It’s unexpectedly vivid and very medieval in tone.
Slender Gothic windows wrap the apse, filling the space with stained-glass color, while the walls retain traces of painted decoration that soften the stone rather than cover it. The effect is more intimate than monumental.
The stained glass windows were restored by the venerable Viollete-le-Duc.
Promenade des Ramparts
The town’s medieval castle is long gone. But you can walk along the ramparts and admire the Tour del’Orle d’Or tower, which was once the castle keep.
The access point is just past the hospital. The best spot for views is Point Panoramique on the southwest edge of town. If you descend to Pont Pinard, you’ll have another beautiful view of the medieval city.
Municipal Museum
This modern museum is where you go for historical context, not art. It displays archaeological material from the Auxois area.
There are also a few religious objects and works by the French artist Pompom. The famous animal sculptor was born in Semur.
Architecture
The highlight of the city is just admiring the beautiful architecture. It’s a classic fortified medieval hill town.
There’s heavy use of stones, tight streets, and some surviving towers. The houses you’ll see mix stone ground floors with half-timbered upper stories.
Be sure to stop in at Pelle. This famed chocolatier, open for 30 years, is full of temptations!
And if you need a bit to eat, check out Vieille Auberge. You’ll find a rustic dining room and small terrace for enjoying traditional French cuisine.
Fontenay Abbey
Just 10 minutes down the road is a UNESCO site you should take a quick detour for: the austere Fontenay Abbey.
Founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in the early 12th century, it’s the oldest preserved Cistercian abbey in the world and one of the first French monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
What you see today — church, cloister, dormitory, chapter house, forge, and other buildings — remains remarkably intact and readable. A rare survival of monastic life that wasn’t later rebuilt or prettified.
>>> Click here to pre-book a ticket
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
Just 20 minutes beyond Semur-en-Auxois lies Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, a gorgeous les plus beaux village built around an ancient Benedictine abbey with a surprisingly intact Carolingian crypt.
The town itself is genuinely lovely. Stone houses cluster tightly along narrow streets, bedecked with flowers.
The setting feels rural rather than staged, even though it was once the setting of the film Chocolat.
Most of the abbey complex was largely rebuilt in the 18th century. Today, it houses the Anis de Flavigny factory, a small museum, and a cafe. The anise candies are simply delicious!
How To See Semur, Fontenay, and Flavigny In One Day
If you want to see all three sites in a day, which is doable, I would start in Semur-en-Auxois and spend a couple hours there.
Then, head to Fontenay Abbey, which is a 10 minute drive. You’ll need 60-90 minutes there. You could do it in an hour, but it would be rushing.
Flavigny is nice in the late afternoon and it’s just a 20 minute drive from Fontenay. Wander the street, visit the abbey ruins, and have dinner here.
The Brasserie de Flavigny is a popular gastro-pub. And, if you visit the Anis factory, the food and decor is lovely.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my in-guide to Semurs-en-Auxois. You may find these other Burgundy travel guides useful:
- Historic abbeys in Burgundy
- Things to do in Dijon
- Guide to Dijon’s Musée des Beaux-Arts
- Things to do in Beaune
- Guide to Hotel Dieu
- Guide to Vezelay Abbey
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