Provins

About this place

Provins is a medieval town in the Seine-et-Marne department of Île-de-France, north-central France, about 77 km southeast of Paris in a straight line. It has about 11,600 residents and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 for its well-preserved medieval architecture. In the Middle Ages Provins was an important economic centre under the protection of the Counts of Champagne, and from 1120 to 1320 it hosted one of the largest of the annual Champagne fairs for farming and trade, becoming a banking centre whose coin was accepted across Europe. The Tour César dates from the 12th century and is the only known octagonal keep on a square base. Long stone walls with towers and gates wrap around the upper town above a grassy ditch, the grey Tour César with its pointed roof rises on a rocky mound, and an old church dome stands beside it. Inside, old stone and timber houses line cobbled lanes. Visitors walk along the walls, climb the Tour César for views over the plains and wander the upper and lower towns. Historical shows are staged in summer, and the town makes an easy day trip from Paris by train.