Fontaines Salées

Yonne


Located along the D958, 5km southeast of Vézelay, these ancient saltwater springs served as a salt production site in Neolithic times, then later a Celtic sanctuary (2nd century BC) and Roman baths (1st century AD). Tickets allow access to Le Musée Archéologique in St-Père, which holds finds from the site.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yonne attractions

1. Basilique Ste-Madeleine

1.79 MILES

Founded in the AD 880s on a former Roman and Carolingian site, Vézelay's stunning hilltop basilica was rebuilt between the 11th and 13th centuries. On the…

2. Maison Jules Roy

1.84 MILES

Up near the top of town, the former home of Algerian-born writer Jules Roy (1907–2000) is an enchanting spot with fine views of the basilica. Walk around…

3. Musée Zervos

1.86 MILES

This fantastic museum in the exquisite townhouse of Nobel Prize–winning pacifist writer Romain Rolland (1866–1944) holds the collection of Christian…

4. Chapelle Ste-Croix

1.9 MILES

This Romanesque chapel on the hillside below Vézelay dates back to the 12th century, when Bernard de Clairvaux gave a sermon on this spot to launch the…

5. Le Château de Bazoches

4.76 MILES

Le Château de Bazoches sits magnificently on a hillside with views to Vézelay, 12km to the north. Built in the 13th century and visited by royalty…

6. Musée de l'Avallonnais

6.65 MILES

Founded in 1862, this wonderful small museum displays a series of expressionist watercolours by Georges Rouault (1871–1958) and an excellent art-deco…

7. Tour de l'Horloge

6.68 MILES

This solid, 15th-century clock tower spans the old city's main thoroughfare.

8. Collégiale St-Lazare

6.68 MILES

Eight centuries ago, masses of pilgrims flocked here thanks to a piece of the skull of St Lazarus, believed to provide protection from leprosy. The early…