Avallon
A city perched on its granite platform
The old town is built on a granitic promontory that overlooks the Cousin Valley by about a hundred metres. To the north, the city has spread over the calcareous plateau. Probably from a Celtic settlement, Avallon benefited from its presence on the famous Via Agrippa in the Gallo-Roman era, and became a stopover town. Due to its natural location, the city had a strategic interest. However, it was not until the 9th century that the first ramparts were built. Along the Cousin, the suburbs recall the "hydraulic" industries (tanneries) that have now disappeared, which ensured the city's prosperity in the 19th century. The Cousin Valley and its remarkable natural heritage (white-legged crayfish, peregrine falcon, Grand Duke...) is nowadays the subject of many environmental concerns: natura 2000 sites, restoration of ecological continuity, educational facilities...
