Let's walk around Provins (French medieval town)

Today, saturday, was a beautiful, very cold, sunny winter day, with a wind that turned our ears red and made us regret having brought no bonnet. We could have stayed home, but honestly, after so many grey, rainy, dark days, it was too good to remain hidden, so we went to Provins. This small town is a 30mn-3/4 hour drive away from where we live and we often spend a few hours there. If you've been following this blog for some time, you might have noticed it.

So we parked our car and proceeded to the "old town" ("high town") on foot. In summer, there are so many tourists that it's hard to park, so we enjoy these months.

The ramparts in the background :

 

A house number with cats :

  

Facing the ramparts (the high town is mostly surrounded by them) :

 

 

  

On the main square, with the timbered houses :

 

  

In the background, the "tour César" - Cesar tower :

  

What's left of an old church :

  

On the way to the lower part of town :

  

A viewpoint on a XIIIth century abbey :

 

  

 Above a shop in the lower town :

 

I couldn't resist this art binding shop :  

  

and those lovely little booknotes :

  

Leaving the town center, toward the ramparts, 

the medieval bookshop on the left :

 

 It looks like a normal door, but :

 

it's in the underground (Provins is filled with underground tunnels and caves) :

 

 

 

 And then we proceeded to head home...

If you'd like a visit, here's a video in English :