St Florentin, Burgundy, France

Saint-Florentin is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.

On the road between Troyes and Auxerre, this little known town stands on the Armancon River and the Canal de Bourgogne. The port is to be rejuvenated to welcome hotel barges and canal cruisers en route through Burgundy.

A two hour drive from Paris, on the northern doorstep of Burgundy and bordering on the Champagne region, is the small town of Saint-Florentin, a veritable treasure trove of brocante or bric-a-brac and antique shops which all hold markets.

DATES OF THE MARKETS AND SALONS
The markets are held: first Saturday in July, August and September
The antique salon: May, in Les Halles

At the centre of the town is St-Florentin's church with its century old gargoyles peering down from the arches. The church is known for its 16th century stained glass windows from the "Troyes School" and the rood screen and sculptures are worth a look. In the middle of the church sits a statue of St Florentin, astride his horse. You can pick up the keys from the Tourist Office around the corner and visit the church, free of charge.

The Maison de Patrimoine is housed in a beautiful half-timbered house hidden in the old quarter of town, not far away from the church and offers exhibitions of local amateur artists and occasionally also a professional artist.

All cruises are on River Boats and today these are mostly luxury 5 star boats with all the comforts of top hotels and many of the facilities of cruise ships. So the cruise choice is really destination driven. Cruises generally commence in Spring (March) and the main season ends in September/October, however a limited number of cruises are available up to Christmas and New Year. European River Cruises operate from Spring to Autumn, so the weather will change with the seasons.

General Information:

Population: 5,089 (2006)
Language: French
Currency: Euro
Time Zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours
Dial Code: +33