Semur-en-Auxois

Semur stands on a spur of pink granite almost encircled by the Armancon, and the approach from the Pont Joly is the view: four massive round towers, the remains of the fourteenth-century donjon, rising directly above the river with the town packed behind them. One tower, the Tour de l'Orle d'Or, cracked in 1602 and the split is still visible. The collegiate church of Notre-Dame is thirteenth-century Gothic with a narrow, very tall nave and a doorway carved with the legend of Doubting Thomas. Below the walls, riverside paths run round the loop and give the town from every angle.

What you actually see

• The four towers - the remains of the keep above the river bend.
• The Pont Joly view - the classic approach to the towers and walls.
• Notre-Dame collegiate church - a tall narrow Gothic nave and carved portal.
• The river circuit - paths around the loop below the ramparts.

When to go

April to October; the town is quiet outside high summer. Autumn colour along the Armancon suits the river walk. Winter is cold on the exposed spur.

Honest expectations

The towers can be seen from outside but internal access is limited and seasonal. The town is small, an hour or two of walking. Public transport is poor and a car helps.

Nearby

Flavigny lies southeast; Fontenay Abbey is north.