Troyes -4°c

Whilst our friends were here we made a trip into Troyes. It was extremely cold, at -4°c, so strolling around the historic streets doing a little bit of sightseeing and Christmas shopping was a little nippy. We did discover though that all but one of the museums in Troyes are currently free to enter, and as it was so cold we decided to visit one to help warm ourselves up. We chose the Musee Vauluisant.

The building of the Vauluisant Museum dates from the 16th century and currently houses the Museum of Troyan Art and the Museum of Hosiery.

At the start of the 16th century, Troyes had an exceptional school of painting, sculpture and stained glass. Many of the masterpieces can be seen in the churches around Troyes and southern Champagne, along with some exhibits that can be seen in this museum.

The Hosiery Museum, which was first created in 1948 shows the history of a flourishing textile industry which had major importance in this region. There are some superb collections of looms and knitting machines, alongside more up to date exhibits of the clothing icons that were created in Troyes, such as Lacoste and Le Coq Sportif.

It was an excellent little distraction, such a beautiful old building being used to display some very exquisite pieces. Well worth a visit.

Even though it had been a tad chilly we had a wonderful day, supping hot chocolate in warm cosy cafés, buying Christmas presents in beautiful, unique boutiques and exploring the historic streets, buildings and museums of Troyes.