We took a day trip in June 2020 to visit Autun, France on our way home from Dijon. It was a Sunday, so most shops and restaurants were closed. We took advantage of the limited tourists in the area and drove to all the major sights in the city within a few hours. My knee was bothering me after having walked 9 miles collectively in the two days before, so we tried to limit the amount of walking needed. Most places were on the outskirts of town and would not have been walkable anyways!
In order of the images, you will see the Temple of Janus, Porte d’Arroux, Porte Saint-André, Théâtre Romain, Cathédrale Saint-Lazare d’Autun, Pyramide de Couhard, and Croix de la libération.
- Temple of Janus: a temple built in the 1st century AD outside the walls of the then Roman city Augustodunum. This temple isn’t actually based on the God of Janus, but supposedly is a name that references “where a broom grows”. The temple is missing two of its walls, but what’s left is magnificent as it stands over 78 feet tall.
- Porte d’Arroux and Porte Saint-André: old gateways to the Roman city Augustodunum.
- Théâtre Romain: originally built for the people of Augustodunum, it could fit up to 14,000 people.
- Pyramide de Couhard: this is an old pyramid outside the city walls, and based on what I can read about it is very controversial. The most accepted theory is that this pyramid was a funeral monument that would cover the remains of a deceased person.
- Croix de la libération: in 1945, a cross was erected to commemorate the liberation of Autun and gives you a great view of Autun and the surrounding areas below.
