Melun in one day

Begin on the Île Saint-Étienne, where the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame rises as a rare example of 11th-century Romanesque architecture, its south portal praised by Auguste Rodin for its infinite grace. Cross to the right bank to discover the Church of Saint-Aspais, the only church in France bearing this dedication, with its extraordinary Flamboyant Gothic lacework and preserved 16th-century stained glass. A short stroll past the neo-classical Town Hall, built on the site of a medieval abbey property, leads north to the National Gendarmerie Museum, where an 18-meter glass vitrine — the largest in Europe — displays centuries of French law enforcement history through 30,000 objects. This route works only Wednesday through Saturday, as the collegiate church is closed on Mondays and Sundays, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays.