Tonnerre, France
Tonnerre is a French commune, located in the department of Yonne, Bourgogne. It is an ancient town which is noted in Roman times. You would be forgiven if you thought not much had changed since those times! The town is beautiful but much of it has fallen into disrepair. It is yet another victim of the young moving towards the big nearby cities of Dijon and Paris. Still, if you are looking for a “fixer-upper”, Tonnerre is the ideal place to look. It is well situated between Dijon and Paris and it is for this reason why the area has been settled for a long time.
Even though many of the houses are crumbling, the places of interest have been well maintained. La Fosse Dionne is a water source that is incredibly deep. Investigations into it have only gone so far into the calcareous hills. It is set in a circular gothic stone basin built in the 18th Century. The water, as you can see below, is a deep mysterious emerald green colour:
La Fosse Dionne is set below the gothic church of Saint-Pierre. The panoramic views from the hillside are stunning. The church itself is nice too with stained glass windows dating back to the sixteenth century.
On the way to Tonnerre is Chablis. Chablis is a famous wine producing area of France located in Bourgogne. The town is small and virtually completely surrounded by vineyards. It is impossible to escape the importance of this area in terms of wine. There is an air of wealth in the town which is not felt in Tonnerre! However, Tonnerre is far more interesting and enjoyable even if the activity of wine tasting is not as abundant!