Burgundy has many treasures to unveil, so don't forget to discover the beauty of this area if you visit us.!

 

MÂCON

Mâcon is both Queen of the river Saône and city of the poet Lamartine.

The river is quiet and crossed by the Saint-Laurent bridge -11 th century-, which is extremely dear to the inhabitants of Mâcon. This town is not too big – 40,000 people live here. The riverside is always lively and colourful, it offers visitors a very friendly, southern-like welcome.

As to Lamartine, you can't miss him in the area of Mâcon: you can visit his childhood house in Milly-Lamartine, or the museum dedicated to his memory and located in the town-center, or still the family castle in Saint Point, where Lamartine is now buried.

But Mâcon will also enchant you with its historical heritage and its lovely natural spots.

The cobblestone streets in the town-center will make you travel through history, from the Hôtel-Dieu to the Wooden House –the oldest building in Mâcon- , including the Towers of old Saint Vincent – daunting remains of the Middle Ages- and several museums across the city.

Mâcon was the first town in the region of Saône et Loire to be rewarded for its flowers. If you stroll along the pedestrian lanes by the river, the Green Road or the numerous gardens, you cannot but fall in love with the quiet and the beauty of the place!

A town for sports

In 2001, Mâcon was awarded with the title of “best city for sports in France ”, and it does deserve such a prize.
The river Saône really offers many possibilities: rowing, sailing, boat racing, water-skiing, silurid fishing and so on…….
The various hills of the area provide great locations for car racing and cycle racing.
Green paths allows hikers to discover the local flora and fauna and the Lamartine valley (Val Lamartinien) can be explored by hiking or just strolling around on 16 different routes !

A land for connoisseurs

The area is of course well-known for its vineyards. Nearly 50 million bottles are produced each year. The Domaine de la Feuillarde will welcome you anytime if you wish to taste Pouilly-Fuissé or Saint Véran, and it can be a good start to proceed on the picturesque, hilly Wine Route .

The area also gets a lot of credit for its farmhouse goat cheese, and if you want to know more on its making process, just visit the little museum of the Chailloux (7 kms) or the Prieuré Farm (12 kms)

On driving across the country roads, you have surely noticed another great ambassador of the region: the Charolaise white cows. This breed is quite exceptional. If you wish to master the subtleties to cook and to taste this meat, just pay a little visit to the Charolais Institute in Charolles.

THE GREATER AREA OF MACON

CLUNY

Its abbey used to be the greatest, the most powerful, the most prestigious in the Middle-Ages, and still today, there's only one church tower left, towering in the Burgundian sky. Both elegant and solid, it remains very impressive.

Many houses in the historical center, long after the abbey's splendour, still bear witness to the way the city used to be organized. Broad arcades topped the ground floor and marked the entrances of craftsmen or merchant's shops, whereas finer, sculpted arcatures signalled the floors where people lived.

And if you fancy history, the Monk Chapel in Berzé-la-ville is a must-see! It was built in 1100 by Saint Hugues. The place is full of Norman wall paintings which have been extremely well preserved.

THE ROCK OF SOLUTRE

The museum of Solutré has been open since 1987 and gathers the collections of one of the richest prehistoric site in Europe . Set in a prestigious scenery – the Rock of Solutré and the Pouilly-Fuissé hillsides- it offers an outstanding panoramic view, stretching from the Saône valley and the Bresse valley to the Jura mountains . You can also catch a glimpse of Mount Blanc from there, when the weather is not cloudy.

THE CASTLE OF PIERRECLOS  

Lamartine appreciated this castle, as we learnt from his original memoirs. This is a very Lamartine-like place indeed. The castle was built above the valley of the petite Grosne and the view can only set the poet's heart on fire. Its terrassed gardens overlook the surrounding vineyards.

THE CAVES OF AZE

This prehistoric site is the longest network of caves in Burgundy . The museum presents exceptional remains of bears and felines and gives evidence of 4,000 centuries of human life.

THE GREEN MUSEUM OF BURGUNDIAN BRESSE

The aim is to save, study and assert the Bresse identity. Various shows and exhibits dealing with local know-how, history and traditions are proposed by the museum around the grounds of the castle Pierre de Bresse.

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