Luxeuil

Luxeuil lies at the approaches to the Vosges in eastern France, where springs and routes connect a settlement with wooded uplands and agricultural country. Its thermal waters were known long before the medieval town, giving the place a distinctive relationship with healing and travel. Farming, crafts and local markets support the surrounding district, while roads link it with the wider Franche-Comte region. Religious institutions add another major layer to its urban identity.

Saint Columban founded Luxeuil's abbey around 590. Its schools became celebrated in the Middle Ages, and its abbots wielded considerable influence. The abbey church was completed in 1330; the monastery was suppressed during the French Revolution.