Cities
[edit]
- 1 Autun — small hill town with very well-preserved ancient Roman walls and a great Romanesque cathedral
- 2 Chalon-sur-Saône
— a a hub of road and river transport already as a Roman city - 3 Mâcon — colourful city on the river Saône, gateway to the Beaujolais wine region
- 4 Paray-le-Monial — small town with attractive 11th-century basilica
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Taizé Community – a monastic community and pilgrimage site
Understand
[edit]The department is home to the Charolais cattle, which not only look beautiful but also produce particularly tender and tasty meat.
Get in
[edit]Mâcon is 90 km from Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport (IATA:LYS).
By car, it takes about an hour. Alternatively, you can take the "Rhônexpress" tram to Lyon-Part Dieu station (every 15 minutes, journey time half an hour) and from there take the TGV (approximately half an hour to Mâcon-Loche, 40 minutes to Le Creusot, and one hour to Chalon-sur-Saône) or the frequent regional train (TER) that runs approximately 50 minutes to Mâcon-Centre and 1 hour 20 minutes to Chalon-sur-Saône.
By train
[edit]TGV stops are in Mâcon, Chalon-sur-Saône, and Le Creusot. TGV trains run from Paris and Lyon to Le Creusot every two hours, taking 1 hour 20 minutes from Paris and 40 minutes from Lyon. There are four direct TGV trains to Mâcon daily from Lyon, taking 24–34 minutes; two TGV trains run daily to Chalon-sur-Saône, taking one hour. However, the extra cost is hardly worth it on this route: the TER regional trains, which run at least once an hour, only take 48 minutes to Mâcon and 1 hour 22 minutes to Chalon-sur-Saône. Five TGV trains run daily from Paris to Mâcon, taking just over 1.5 hours, and one daily to Chalons-sur-Saône (2.5 hours).
By car
[edit]The A6 motorway runs through the department.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]Churches and monasteries
[edit]- Cluny Abbey: A large and historically significant Benedictine monastery, which was one of the most important religious centers in Europe during the Middle Ages and the starting point of the influential Cluniac monastic reform.
- Abbey of Saint-Philibert in Tournus. Benedictine monastery with a simple Romanesque monastery church.
- Romanesque churches in the Brionnais region: over 100 large and small Romanesque churches and chapels bear witness to the influence of Cluny architecture. Sometimes they are prominently located in the village center, sometimes hidden in a meadow. A recommended starting point is Paray-le-Monial, whose basilica is considered the finest example of Cluniac architecture.
Castles and palaces
[edit]- La Clayette Castle. Romantic moated castle.
- Germolles Castle near Givry, 9 km west of Chalon-sur-Saône. The only surviving late medieval pleasure palace of the Dukes of Burgundy.
- Cormatin Water Castle. From the 17th century with feudally furnished rooms, a large ornamental garden and a labyrinth.
Miscellaneous
[edit]- Limestone cliffs of Solutré-Pouilly: An unusually shaped rock (from a certain perspective, it is said to resemble a sphinx) with a spectacular panorama, which served as a pilgrimage and sacrificial site as early as the Stone Age. The finds are on display in the Musée départemental de Préhistoire. The surrounding area boasts excellent vineyards and a beautiful hiking area.
Do
[edit]This department is dominated by the Canal du Centre, which connects the Saône and Loire rivers. Those with a houseboat or bicycle can use the canal to explore the region. Bikes and boats are also available for rent.
Eat
[edit]Saône-et-Loire cuisine is particularly famous for its snails (escargots de Bourgogne). Prepared Burgundy style, they are a delicacy.
Drink
[edit]Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé! Every year, on the third Thursday in November, the new Beaujolais wine arrives in bars and restaurants across France and in other locations around the world. This wine comes from the historic province and wine-growing region of Beaujolais, north of Lyon, which encompasses parts of the northern Rhône and parts of the southern Saône-et-Loire. It's a young wine that should be consumed as soon as possible, as it doesn't age very well.