Troyes: with its cobbled streets, its half-timbered houses, its Renaissance town houses, its nine churches and its cathedral of light
The cliché may seem somewhat jaded and somewhat outdated. But no, the medieval part of town has retained the character that the trouvères (poets) and all the merchants who used to come through were familiar with.
This was the era of the great Champagne fairs, when times were prosperous and money was minted here. And when people exchanged items of cloth, silk and silver in an atmosphere of popular jubilation.
And the town, this ancient capital of Champagne, is proud of all that - proud of its heritage, especially that of the 16th century.
It's as lovely as ever, splendid as ever. And now the town has got back its beautiful pastel-toned façades, because they have used the pigments of years gone by in doing renovation work.