Hotels in Autun

Autun was founded by Augustus as Augustodunum, and few French towns of its size carry as much Roman history in plain sight: two monumental gates, the Porte d'Arroux and Porte Saint-André, still stand, the remains of a large Roman theatre sit on the edge of town, and the tower-like ruin known as the Temple of Janus rises from the fields outside. Its other great draw is the Cathédrale Saint-Lazare, a landmark of Burgundian Romanesque whose carved Last Judgement tympanum by Gislebertus is studied by art historians.

His sculpted Eve is in the nearby Musée Rolin. The town also makes a sensible base for walking and driving in the forests and lakes of the Morvan. Be honest: this is a quiet provincial town of under twenty thousand people, well off the main motorway and high-speed rail lines, with modest dining and little going on after dark, so a car makes life much easier. Stay in the upper old town near the cathedral, where the main sights, museum and best restaurants are all within walking distance.