Former Hôtel-Dieu

The Former Hôtel-Dieu, in Laon

The Former Hôtel-Dieu of Laon is a medieval building located on the Place Aubry, facing the cathedral. The Laon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this former hospital laden with history, from which you enjoy a superb view over the cathedral and the Picard plains.

The former hospital facing the cathedral

You are here on the small Place Aubry, which offers a sublime view over the imposing cathedral on one hand, and over the Picard plains that extend as far as the eye can see on the other. On this square stands the former Hôtel-Dieu of Laon. As in all the medieval towns, the Hôtel-Dieu was the hospital of the town, a charitable institution where the sick, the poor and the pilgrims were welcomed and cared for, often managed by religious. That of Laon, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages, testifies to this long tradition of assistance, at a time when the Church played an essential social role. Located in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, in the heart of the upper town, the building, reworked several times, keeps remarkable old elements. Its privileged location, on this square open onto the great landscape, makes it one of the finest viewpoints of the perched city. A witness of the medieval history and solidarity, the Former Hôtel-Dieu is a fine stop of the discovery of Laon.

What to see

Here you discover, on the Place Aubry, the former medieval hospital of Laon, a charitable institution that welcomed and cared for the sick, the poor and the pilgrims, in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, which keeps remarkable old elements, and from which you enjoy a superb view over the cathedral and the Picard plains as far as the eye can see. The Former Hôtel-Dieu is a witness of the history of Laon. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Former Hôtel-Dieu lies on the Place Aubry, in the upper town of Laon, near the cathedral, reachable on foot. You admire its exterior from the square, which offers a fine view; the interior access follows its own conditions. You discover it during a walk in the historic city.

What was the Former Hôtel-Dieu of Laon?

The medieval hospital of the town, a charitable institution where the sick, the poor and the pilgrims were welcomed and cared for, often managed by religious; located on the Place Aubry, facing the cathedral, it offers one of the finest viewpoints of the upper town, over the cathedral and the Picard plains.

Where is the Former Hôtel-Dieu of Laon?

On the Place Aubry, in the upper town of Laon, near the cathedral, in France.