It was already late when we arrived, but we could see this amazing medieval town, with its cathedral and five towers in the distance. Laon, with its rich history, was the medieval capital of the Carolingian kings, before it was moved to Paris by Hugh Capet, who became king in 987.
Laon was our first overnight stop as we left UK on a ferry from Dover to Calais. It was cloudy, when we left the hotel early in the morning and drove up to this Roman fortified town. It raises one hundred meters above the flat Picardy area and is surrounded by seven kilometres of ramparts. It contains a large number of medieval buildings, including one of the first gothic cathedrals in France - cathedral Notre-Dame of Laon, dating back to the 12th century.
We left the car and walked the cobbled streets towards the cathedral. What seemed like a sleepy city, came to life right at noon. The sun has finally appeared and the local restaurants started serving lunch. The immediate area around the cathedral is the place to be in the middle of the day, for its warm atmosphere created by locals mixed with a small number of tourists and history enthusiasts.
We spent a couple of hours wandering around, discovering narrow alleys, and cobblestone streets leading to very high and wide stairs at the back of the cathedral, a good place to admire the view of Picardy.
Back in the centre of town we have enjoyed some quiche aux champignons and admired artisan bread in the Saveurs Gourmandes boulangerie.
Laon was a great first stop on our mini tour of northern and eastern France and it will only get warmer and more colourful as we travel further east.
See you in the beautiful Champagne region next.. A bientΓ΄t!
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