Farges les Macon La Chapelle sous Brancion  La Truchère  Lacrost   Martailly-les-Brancion

Le Villars  Ozenay   Préty   Royer   Uchizy   Tournus

FARGES-LES-MACON

This tranquil place has kept its rural way of life, to the rhythm of the bell of its romanesque church. Its agriculture is mostly wine, production with three owner/producers ; flocks of sheep, dairy herds, goats (which produce delicious cheeses) and feed crops complete the agricultural landscape. A quarry of pinkish beige stone is still active and exports its stone throughout the world. The church, dedicated to St Bartholomew, was built around 1050. The plain interior, similar to St Philibert and Chapaize has undoubted charm. The apse has a Christ in Majesty surrounded by the evangelists which dates to the 14th century.

The little port at the edge of the Saône still has a traditional fishing industry. The old towpath and the woods crossed by bridle paths which border the village offer pleasant walks.

A gîte and un family-run restaurant make for a restful stay.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel/fax : +33 3 85 40 51 00.
Open Tues and Fri 9.00 to 11.00
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

LA CHAPELLE-SOUS-BRANCION

The 12th century church is at the heart of the community. It is surrounded by several fine old houses. Two little rivers wind through the valley, the Grison and the Naiguère, and there are several springs. On foot you can admire the 6 wash-houses restored by local people (signposted rambling route), restored wells, bread ovens, a fine selection of houses from farmyards to little wine-producers' houses. Three wine producers are very happy to receive visitors.

At a bend in the road (D14) you will come upon the château de Nobles which, though much adapted between the 13th and 17th centuries has kept all its charm. A hundred metres further stands the Menhir of Nobles (3000 BC), a magnificent megalith standing by a huge oak and offering its shade to the cattle.

To the North are the hamlets of Nogent and Collonge where most of the 148 residents live. Several clubs orgainse activities including exhibitions, lectures, meals and diffenent activities throughout the year.

There is bed and breakfast and a gite available for your stay.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel/fax : +33 3 85 51 05 59
Open Tues and Thurs 14.00 - 17.00
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

LA TRUCHERE

At the confluent of the Seille and the Saône, at the junction of the footpaths of Bresse and the Saône valley, La Truchère offers you the peace and charm of its greenery and waterways. Along the Seille, your walk will lead you to a 9-arched bridge, one of the last « needle weirs » and nearby a lock which is still in use in spite of its great age (built in 1794). Walk in the Maillance wood, a protected heron-nesting site. There is a car park at the end of the village, and an interactive panel which will help you to recognise the bird calls. The village has a fine old cross with the statues of St Nicolas and St John the Baptist, and in the church (open Whitsun to end September) is a painting of St Roch, patron of the parish.

A port welcomes pleasure boats and offers boat rides.A little further on, the « Vieille Seille » offers fishing for families. But if you would like fried fish on your plate without having to catch it, there are 2 restaurants on the quay.

The 93 ha of the La Truchère - Ratenelle Nature Reserve form part of the community, with their mosaic of different habitats : peat, lake, sand dunes...

Practical information :
Town hall : tel : +33 3 85 51 15 85
Open Wed 8.00-12.00/14.00-17.00 and Friday 14.00-17.00
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

LACROST

The name of the village originates in the limestone promontory above the right bank of the Saône on which it is built. The first homes were probably constructed here at the site of the quarry in the 11th or 12th centuries. The village of Lacrost belonged to the Abbey of Tournus from the 11th century until the Revolution and was an often-disputed territory. Lacrost was once a hamlet of Préty and became a community its own right only in 1852.

The village is composed of a collection of ancient farms, many now divided but still with magnificent gateways designed for carts and herds, and with separate doorways for those on foot. Some homes, well-conserved, date from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Tumuli from the end on the Bronze Age (about 800BC) constituting a real necropolis, have been discovered at the edge of the Saône.

A restaurant, a gîte and bed and breakfast are available for your meal or stay.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel : +33 3 85 51 09 51
E-mail : mairie.lacrost@wanadoo.fr
Open Mon and Fri 16.00-19.00, Tues and Thurs 14.00-16.00, Wed 9.00-12.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

MARTAILLY-LES-BRANCION

The village of Martailly has remained rural, with its agriculture besed around the vine. There is a flourishing tourist industry thanks to the mediaeval site of Brancion which dominates the village.The fortifications enclosing the site have only one gate, entered every day by many visitors who come to see the castle open to visitors (10th and 14th centuries), the market hall (15th century) with its fine roof-beams, l'St Peter's Church open to visitors ((12th and 14th centuries) which has an interesting set of frescoes, and several very attractive houses.

In front of the church and cemetary there is a magnificent panorama over the Grosne valley.

The whole of this attractive village forms an ambitious project of restoration and presentation by a partnership of public bodies, local and national.

The village of Martailly, surrounded by forests, is also the departure point for walks and rambles thanks to a network of signposted pathways. Leaflets available at Tourist Office. And if you prefer to stroll in the village you will find the old wash-house and several fine houses in the mâconnais style.

To help you to make the most of this site's attractions, ced and breakfast, gîtes, hotels and restaurants are available to welcome you in the summer.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel/fax : +33 3 85 51 12 56
Open Tues and Thurs 14.30 - 18.00, Fri 8.30- 12.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

LE VILLARS

The village is planted on a rocky promontory overlooking the Saône and the Bresse landscape. The streets all lead to the church square, shaded by plane trees. What is unusual about this building, which goes back to the 11th and 12th centuries, is its double nave, the second intended for the benedictine nuns established at Le Villars. The apse is decorated by a fresco which is in a Byzantine style.

The village is proud to have been the home of several famous men : General Debrun, hero of Valmy ; Alfred Cortot, celebrated pianist, and his cousin the brilliant composer Edgar Varèse ; Gabriel Voisin, pioneer of aviation and automobile ; Désiré Mathivet, sculpteur ; Mireille Montangerand, painter, etc.

A restaurant, a gîte and a bed and breakfast are available for you to make the most of rambling or fishing on the banks of the Saône.

Practical information :
Town hall : Tel : +33 3 85 51 00 57
Fax : +33 3 85 32 52 43
E-mail : mairie.levillars71@wanadoo.fr
Open Mon and Thurs 9.00 - 12.00, Tues 14.00 to 18.00, Wed 10.00 - 12.00, Fri 15.00 - 19.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

OZENAY

This charming place has kept its authentic rural appearance. The village has much to offer with its Romanesque church (12th century) and its castle begun in the 13th century. Their rooves are tiled in stone and both are protected Historic Monuments. The seven surrounding hamlets have well-preserved 18th and 19th century architecture. A little further West lies the Domaine de Messey, (17th and 18th centuries). Today the community depends upon the raising of cattle and wine-production.

Crossed by the Natouze, wooded, the village is a great place for walking, horse riding, mountain biking, and there are pathways linking mills, wash-houses and cadoles (vineyard shelters) Don't miss the panoramic view from the Teppe du Clou, with orientation table. Five gîtes and bed and brekfast and a restaurant in the various hamlets make for a pleasant and restful stay.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel : +33 3 85 51 10 57
Open Mon 8.30 - 11.30 and Thurs 15.00 - 18.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

PRETY

The village was constructed from the 9th century onward on a limestone hill, linked to the mâconnais but detatched by the erosion of the Saône. Since the Middle Ages there has been a quarry of pink stone here, known as “Préty stone” which was used not only for Tournus and certain sculptures of the abbey but throughout the region as far as Lyon. The wars of succession in Burgundy destroyed the castle and the church. The latter was reconstructed in 1478 ; its harmonious volumes are a pleasure for the visitor. The community is also proud of its great plane tree, which has protected status. It was planted in 1801 on the site of an old elm under which village meetings were held.

It is currently 33.5 metres high. The visitor will enjoy strolling around the village admiring the houses in the local pink stone, the wash-houses and wells. The forest and the Saône close to the village are full of charm and tranquility for ramblers. Leaflets available at the Tourist Office.

There are several local shops, some run by associations and Préty has an award for its flowers.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel : +33 3 85 51 06 67
Open Monday 14.00 - 19.00, Thurs 9.00 - 12.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

ROYER

Tucked in at the South of a rocky promontory and surrounded by seven hills, Royer is a great place for walking. Little streets wind among the traditional houses and pretty gardens are terrassed on old foundations. Notice the water trickling in the wash-houses, the château, the wells...

The old pathways, including the Chemin des moines (GR76) which is being re-opened progressively, offer great views with a variety of landscapes (woodland, vines, box) ; there are several ancient vineyard shelters or cadoles. The wild flowers are particularly interesting and the wildlife is not shy, being relatively unused to disturbance.
Several bed and breakfast can accommodate visitors who will appreciate the peace and charm of their surroundings.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel/fax : +33 3 85 51 72 57
Open Tues 7.45 to 11.45 and 13.45 - 16.30, Fri 7h45 - 11h45.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

UCHIZY

Easily accessible from the main routes, the village is dominated by the bell-tower of its Romanesque church. This was raised by two storeys to serve as a look-out for the village and its picturesque hamlets. At a short distance, the chapel dedicated to St Imetier was a place of healing for the deaf during the Easter Monday pilgrimages. Attractive bourgeois houses line the streets of the village which stretches as far as the Saône.

The old port is no longer active, but there is a campsite with international clientèle.

Economic activity is centred on the vine, cultivated by six wine producers. The shops and Sunday morning market keep the village lively.
An Inn, bed and breakfast and also the campsite provide a warm welcome.

Practical information :
Town hall : tel : +33 3 85 40 50 20
Open Mon and Wed 17.00 - 19.00, Tues and Thurs 9.00 - 12.00, Fri 17.00 - 18.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office

TOURNUS

Jewel of Romanesque Art and centre of gastronomy

Half-way between Dijon and Lyon on the N6, with a motorway exit just 800 metres from the town, Tournus stands on the banks of the Saône between the Bresse plains and the Mâconnais hills. Its gently sloping rooves with round Roman tiles give a foretaste of the South of France. It is one of the most visited sites in Burgundy.

In the 1st century AD, in the Southern part of the town today, the Romans established a fortified camp on the Via Agrippa to service the passing legions. From the 6th century, Tournus became known for its sanctuary dedicated to St Valerien, who came here to preach christianity and was martyred in the 2nd century. But it was in the 9th century, with the arrival of the monks of Noirmoutier, fleeing the Vikings with the relics of their patron saint Philibert, that the town became an important religious centre. Today, many visitors come to admire the abbey constructed by these monks between the 11th and 13th centuries.

St Philibert's Abbey

The Abbey Church, masterpiece of Romanesque Art, surprises the visitor at first by the majestic austerity of its facade which looks like a fortress, decorated only by Lombard bands and arcatures. After the half-light of the fore-nave (1st quarter of the 11th century ), which still has several wall-paintings, you enter the nave, bathed in light, whose pink columns draw the eye irresistably upwards. This pink stone comes from Préty, a village close to Tournus on the left bank of the Saône. The chancel was remodelled in the 12th century, and the recently-discovered mosaics date from the second quarter of this century. Visit the crypt dedicated to St Valerien then go back to the church entrance to climb to St Michael's Chapel. This chapel also has an arch decorated with sculptures which are among the first in Romanesque Art.

By crossing the parlour, where capitals and statues brought down from the bell-tower are conserved, you reach the cloister which has a superb view over the South side of the church and both bell-towers. The chapter house, the abbot's palace, the refectory and the monks' cellar complete this monastic site, once surrounded by ramparts.
Classical concerts, art exhibitions, take place all summer in the abbey church and monastic buildings.

Close by, the Burgundian Museum re-creates scenes from rural life in Bresse and the Mâconnais.

Strolling in the town

It's a pleasure to stroll through the town and its picturesque little streets lined with period houses. Take your time in the ancient quarter full of mediaeval shops around the Madeleine Church (12th century with 15th and 18th century additions) whose porch and bell-tower are remarkable. The Hôtel-Dieu, created in the 17th and enlarged in the 18th century, has undergone a huge restoration since its closure as a hospital in 1982. Today a museum, the former wards give a real atmosphere of the hospital of long ago with its original furniture. It also has one of the finest pharmacies preserved in situ. In what was once the hospital sisters' quarters Tournus pays homage to its most famous son, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, a painter of the Century of the Enlightenment.

The Musée Greuze displays French 18th century art, paintings, drawings and prints. It also has a rare archaeological collection from the paleolithic to the merovingian periods and many paintings and sculptures from the 15th century to today.

Ode to gastronomy

Tournus is a gastronomic centre well-known in Burgundy and beyond, with very many restaurants, including several which are recommended by famous critics. From the 16th century onwards, travellers paused on the route from Paris to Lyon to stay at celebrated hotels with picturesque names like the Inn of the Golden Well and the Inn of the Roman Town. From the beginning the town council included members representing innkeepers, café-owners, bakers and butchers.

You cannot talk of gastronomy in Tournus without mentioning Jean Ducloux, founder of the Greuze restaurant, famous for the finesse of its traditional cooking and considered one of the greatest French tables (2 Michelin stars since 1978). He trained and launched a whole generation of successful chefs. The famous Greuze kitchens have just been taken over by Laurent Couturier. Tournus and its area belong to a long tradition of gastronomy where the best of local produce is imaginatively used by talented and innovative chefs..
Hotels, bed and breakfast and a gîte are here to make you welcome in the heart of the Romanesque town all year round.

If eating well is a tradition in Tournus so is drinking well, a tradition that continues today thanks to the wine-producers of the area who produce red and white wines Mâcon, Mâcon-Tournus or Bourgogne from the three grape varieties Gamay, Pinot noir and Chardonnay.

Leisure activities are also plentiful around Tournus : river cruises, rambling or mountain biking, flying (hot air balloons or microlights...).

Practical information :
Town hall : tel : +33 3 85 27 03 20
Fax : +33 3 85 27 03 39.
Open Mon 14.00 - 17.00, Tues - Fri 9.00 - 12.00, 14.00 - 17.00, Sat 9.00 - 12.00.
Tour information : consult the Tourist Office