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1. Travel through its renowned vineyards

The Mâconnais area, the southernmost terroir in Burgundy, accounts for a quarter of the Burgundian vineyards. Grown mainly in chardonnay, it produces 85% of white wines. Fruity and round wines, sometimes opulent including the famous Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran. Note that the Viré and Clessé villages defend the long-standing tradition of sweet-white wines. At the southern end of the region, discover the Beaujolais vineyard, where the Black Gamay grape is king and taste the Chénas, Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent et Saint-Amour vintages.

2. Admire its remarkable heritage

From the 11th century, South Burgundy is referred to as “Romanesque Garden” by Raoul Glaber, the monkish chronicler of his time. It is overflowing with churches and chapels in the middle of the vineyards, which lend much charm to the villages. They are scattered around the Cluny and Tournus Abbeys, true jewels.

At the bend of a vineyard or a wood, the stroller will lay its eyes on beautiful fortresses and medieval castles, well preserved and for most of them open to the public.

Finally, the tour of South Burgundy wouldn't be complete without a visit of the beautiful city of Mâcon, the ancient Matisco, witness of two thousand years of history.

3. Immerse yourself into prehistory

In South Burgundy, the Solutré Rock is a hotspot for prehistory that besides gave its name to a prehistoric culture developed in France and in the Iberian peninsula during the second half of the Upper Paleolithic, the Solutrean.

Another major site, the prehistoric Azé cave, which has been alternately inhabited for 300,000 years by humans and wild animals of the Quaternary, bears and cave lions.

4. Follow the trail of Lamartine

South Burgundy is also the land of Lamartine. Born in Mâcon, the poet, writer and politician has left an indelible mark on the area. You can visit the houses where he lived, that inspired him; you can see the landscapes that inspired his most beautiful poems, as well as the space dedicated to him in the Ursulines Museum… A real pilgrimage for lovers of Romanticism.

5. Enjoy gastronomic delights

As an integral part of the Gourmet Valley, South Burgundy is renowned for its concentration of Michelin-starred chefs. There are ten of them within a radius of 20 km around Mâcon!

Even if the region is famed for these restaurants to gourmets, gastronomic delights are much more than just stars and the wealth of restaurants is worth regional products and traditional recipes. Many typical French dishes have a Burgundian origin, the most famous being undoubtedly the “boeuf Bourguignon”. This so-called “winey” cooking draws its specific influence from the use of wine, or the Bresse cooking characterised by poultry and corn… You will taste it in traditional places, local restaurants and other good country tables.

6. Meet local producers

Local produces are also an opportunity to discover valuable know-how and to meet the men who carry on with it. In South Burgundy, two products have a recognition in PDO, the Charolais beef and the unmissable Mâconnais goat cheese. Another local specificity, the tradition of liqueur producers closely linked to the history of the vineyard and the production of the famous Cassis de Bourgogne (blackcurrant liqueur).

7. Admire the beautiful scenery & enjoy a protected natural environment

South Burgundy offers a landscape of vineyards, with mountains of an infinite sweetness dotted with tiny picturesque villages carved in local stone and that reveal their beauty under a unique light.

The region also boasts precious natural sites. The emblematic Solutré Rock in the birthplace of Pouilly-Fuissé wines, classified as a great site of France, famous for its atypical geology, its prehistoric deposit among the richest in Europe as well as its environment, the calcareous grasslands of the Mâconnais area, with its specific fauna and flora. Among the other sites which make the richness of South Burgundy, are the Azé and Blanot Caves, the “Boucherette” site, the nature reserve of “La Truchère”, the “Lande du Bois de Nancelle”, the “Rampon” quarry in Verzé…

8. Discover local crafts

South Burgundy is a creative land where the talents of many potters and ceramists express themselves, historical know-how linked to the presence of clay in the soil and to the fabulous adventure of the “Ceramics Valley” but also to lacemakers and many other craftsmen.

9. Embark on a cruise

Crossed by the Saône, one of the most beautiful rivers in France, and the Seille, navigable for 39 km from Louhans till La Truchère, South Burgundy is a perfect destination for a river boat holiday. Aboard a barge, a cruise ship or a pleasure boat, we can admire the beauty of the landscapes as it flits past.

10. Indulge in the pleasures of cycling & trekking

South Burgundy is a reference in cycling. In fact, it is on the course of the South Burgundy Big Loop that is born the first walking and cycling path of France. From Chalon to Mâcon, this loop, about 150 km long and for the exclusive use of pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles, is a legendary, easy and pleasant route. Another path crossing South Burgundy, the Moselle-Saône bikeway.

The hikers will not be outdone; many of them go through the area on the greatest itineraries, GR76D in particular, the Roads to Santiago of Compostela and Assisi but also on the numerous sign-posted trails that offer the opportunity to discover the region on foot.