Avallon
A walled town on a granite spur above the Cousin valley, with Romanesque portals and a clock tower.
- Heritage site
- 1 h 22 from Beaune
- Allow 1.5 to 2 hours
- Avallon
€295one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Official website
- destinationgrandvezelay.com
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 22 by road (113 km), €295 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
Avallon stands on a rocky spur high above the green valley of the Cousin, at the gateway to the Morvan. Its old town keeps ramparts, a 15th-century clock tower and the Romanesque church of Saint-Lazare, whose carved 12th-century portals reward a close look. It is a pleasant place for a walk and lunch.
What you will see
Start at the Tour de l'Horloge and walk down to the church of Saint-Lazare. Its two portals, with twisted columns, carved archivolts and large statues, reward a close look. Then follow the ramparts round the old town. From the promenades along the walls, the land drops away over granite rocks into the wooded valley of the Cousin. Old houses and small squares fill the streets in between, and the town is easy to explore on foot.
History
The first church here, dedicated to Notre-Dame, stood inside the walls of the castle, as was the custom, to protect it from attack. Soon after the year 1000, Duke Henry the Great of Burgundy gave it a relic of Saint Lazarus. Pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela came to venerate it. The church was rebuilt, and Pope Paschal II consecrated it in person in 1106. From 1146 it took the name of Saint-Lazare.
In the 12th century a richly carved façade was added, of which two portals remain. The church suffered badly later on. Lightning burned the bell tower in 1589, and in 1633 a storm brought down the great tower and the first vault of the nave. The present tower dates from 1670. The Tour de l'Horloge, built in the third quarter of the 15th century, has been a listed monument since 1930.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Allow one and a half to two hours. Avallon is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Beaune and makes an easy stop on the way to Vézelay, 15 km away. The paths below the ramparts are steep, so wear walking shoes. The tourist office can suggest walks in the Cousin valley. Please check the official website for opening times of sites and guided visits.
Around here
What to combine with Avallon on the same day, nearest first.
Guides about Avallon
Questions
Avallon is about 1 h 22 from Beaune by road (113 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €295 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? A small crypt from the first church of Notre-Dame, said to date from the 5th century, lay forgotten beneath the choir of Saint-Lazare until it was rediscovered in 1861.
Sources
Avallon with a private driver
€295 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests