Saint-Jean Quarter (Vieille Ville)
Troyes' medieval old town is one of France's best-kept secrets: a dense labyrinth of 16th-century colombage houses leaning gently over cobblestone lanes. The city's famous champagne-cork shape is best appreciated from above, but at street level every alley rewards slow wandering.
The Colombage Maze
Rue Champeaux and the adjacent Ruelle des Chats — a narrow medieval alley so tight the rooftops nearly touch overhead — are the photogenic heart of the quarter. The Ruelle des Chats dates to the 13th century and its timber frames are original, not restored pastiche.
Place du Marché au Pain opens the neighbourhood up with café terraces and a view of the ornate Hôtel de Ville. Sit here with a coffee and watch locals do their morning rounds before the tour groups arrive.
Churches Worth Ducking Into
The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul anchors the quarter with a jaw-dropping Flamboyant Gothic nave and one of Europe's finest collections of medieval stained glass — over 180 windows spanning six centuries of craftsmanship.
Église Sainte-Madeleine, just a short walk away, contains a breathtaking stone rood screen carved around 1515, one of only three surviving in France. Entry is free and the interior is almost always uncrowded.
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