Laon

Laon sits on a limestone ridge rising abruptly about a hundred metres above the Picardy plain, walled and largely medieval, and it was a Carolingian capital before Paris took that role. Its cathedral, begun around 1155, is among the earliest Gothic buildings and unusual for having had seven planned towers, five of which stand; carved into the openings of the west towers are sixteen life-size oxen, put there in acknowledgement of the animals that dragged the stone up the hill. Inside, the nave is four storeys rather than the later three, an early solution. A rack railway once climbed from the station; a cable-drawn shuttle replaced it.

What you actually see

• The cathedral oxen - sixteen carved oxen in the west tower openings.
• The four-storey nave - an early Gothic elevation before the standard three.
• The ramparts - walls and gates around the ridge-top town.
• The plain view - Picardy spread out a hundred metres below.

When to go

April to October; the cathedral is open year-round and free. Tower tours run seasonally and must be booked. The upper town is a steep climb or a shuttle ride from the station.

Honest expectations

The upper town is a hard climb from the station; the shuttle has been out of service for extended periods. Laon is off the main tourist routes with limited dining. Tower access is restricted.

Nearby

Reims lies southeast; Soissons is south.