The Champagne Cork and its half-timbering
The Champagne Cork is the nickname of the old centre of Troyes. Winding streets, colourful wooden fronts, overhanging storeys: the town has one of the largest medieval ensembles in northern Europe. The Ruelle des Chats, so narrow that the roofs almost touch, is the city’s most photographed spot. Meeting there is a knowing cliché, and the best kind.
Cathedral and City of Stained Glass
Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Cathedral, a huge Gothic vessel, holds one of the finest stained-glass collections in France. Nearby, the City of Stained Glass, set up in the former Hôtel-Dieu, offers a modern luminous journey through this art. Picking a window, guessing the scene, debating together over coffee afterwards: the town quietly offers a real cultural playground for a first date.
Market, andouillette and lakes
On Place du Marché au Pain, the covered market lines up Chaource cheeses, Troyes andouillettes and local hams. Barely half an hour away, the great lakes of Orient, Temple and Amance offer beaches, sailing and walks under oak trees. On Lyad, people from Troyes share their favourite addresses and weekends; it is up to you to find someone to pack a bag for a lakeside escape, between two cobbled lanes.
Date ideas
- Champagne Cork district
- Ruelle des Chats
- Half-timbered houses
- Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Cathedral
- Place du Marché au Pain
- City of Stained Glass
- Troyes andouillette
- Lake Orient