Auxerre sits over the River Yonne, the cathedral on the bluff dominating its surroundings. The sight of it compels the traveller to approach; it really is beautiful on the exterior. It is a fine Gothic building started in 1215 and completed by 1500. On the ground around the cathedral, buildings crowd up to its walls, with the exception of the parking area immediately in front of its doors. Nevertheless, the cathedral is so dominant that one can't help but admire the flying buttresses that support the high walls of the nave and circle the rear of the building. As the visitor approaches, he is struck by a sense of imbalance. The tower on the left, the south tower, was never completed. Had it been, the approach would have been reminiscent of Paris' Notre Dame. Above the central doorway is a rose window buried in the facade.
This is a cathedral of beautiful stained glass. Each of the transepts features its own rose window, God the Father on the south, the Virgin Mary on the north. A series of circular windows appears between the buttresses at the highest point of the walls.
Other features of the cathedral are the tower which is scalable, the crypt and the treasury. This cathedral is a jewel. . . well worth a visit.