Medieval Town of Provins

Provins is a small town about an hour and a half south-east of Paris whose walled upper town is one of the best-preserved medieval centres in France. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 as a Town of Medieval Fairs, and the title explains its history. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Provins was one of the principal towns of the Counts of Champagne, and it hosted the great Champagne fairs, which brought merchants from across Europe to trade cloth, spices, leather and other goods. Two of the fairs took place at Provins each year, and the town grew rich on the profits.

The fairs declined from the early fourteenth century. The county of Champagne passed to the French crown by the marriage of the Countess Joan of Navarre to the future Philip IV, and changes in trade routes, taxes and the economic upheavals of the Hundred Years' War reduced Provins' importance. The town went into decline, and one result was that the medieval centre was never rebuilt, so that the ramparts, towers and houses stayed as they were. Provins also had a thriving cloth industry, and its roses, said to have been brought back from the Crusades by Count Thibaut IV, gave rise to local products such as rose jam and liqueurs.

The upper town offers the main sights. The Tour de César, a twelfth-century keep standing above the town, is the most recognisable landmark, with views from the top over the roofs and the surrounding plain. The ramparts, which date largely from the thirteenth century, run for around a kilometre and a half and can be walked on, and the Grange-aux-Dîmes, a tithe barn, shows the scale of the medieval trade. Below ground, a network of underground galleries and cellars, dug into the chalk, was used for storage and, later, possibly for cloth working, and guided tours explore them. The collegiate church of Saint-Quiriace, with its unfinished dome, dominates the upper town, and the crypt of Saint-Corneille and other monuments such as the Maison des Templiers add further interest.

Provins is also known for live shows that bring the Middle Ages to life. The Aigles des Remparts, a bird of prey show held on the ramparts, and the jousting and fencing displays are popular with families, and a medieval festival in the early summer fills the town with costumed performers, markets and music. These events draw crowds, so book ahead and expect busy streets on festival weekends. Outside event days the town is quiet, with narrow lanes, half-timbered houses and a few good restaurants.

The town suits families, history enthusiasts and day-trippers from Paris, who can reach it by train from the Gare de l'Est. A full visit takes a day, with time for the ramparts, the tower, the underground passages and a show. It is also a base for exploring the rural Provinois region and the Bassée-Montois to the south, with its river valley and walking and cycling routes. Wear comfortable shoes, since the streets are cobbled and the town is built on slopes.