Troyes - pronounced ‘Twah’ - once the capital of Champagne, is now the capital of the Aube departement.
Its history dates from before Roman times. The Counts of Champagne took control in the Middle Ages and founded numerous churches and alms houses. The surviving nine contain some 9,000 square metres of staind glass - the greatest collection of its kind in Europe.
The church of St Jean au Marché was the scene of the marriage between King Henry V of England and Catherine of Valois in 1420. It was here that the Treaty of Troyes took place and where England gained recognition as heir to the throne of France.
The old city is a must to visit with its 16th Century half-timbered houses. In the Ruelle des Chat or 'cats alley', they are so close it is said cats could jump from roof-to-roof. There are several interesting museums.
Troyes is France’s leading knitware centre with over 125 factory shops and also put its name to the 'Troye' weights and measures system for precious metals and gems.
For more tourist information and history, see Premier Pages (Wine Regions, Places of interest)