Things to do and see
Our gîte is located on the border between the Saône-et-Loire and Ain departments of eastern France, with the Jura department a drive away. Whether you want to walk, cycle or drive, you can visit local farms, châteaus, caves, wine cellars, towns and cities while staying with us. Here are some of the tourist destinations nearby with their distance in kilometres from the gîte.
- Cuisery, known as the 'Book Village’ with its book market and many booksellers, situated on the picturesque banks of the River Seille (14 km)
- Louhans, the ‘city of 157 archways’ and its famous poultry market (18 km)
- Tournus, on the banks of the River Saône, home to an abbey and pretty narrow streets (19km)
- Bourg-en-Bresse, Mâcon or Chalon-sur-Saône (approx. 40 km)
- Lons-le-Saunier, its Hôtel-Dieu with an apothecary and its Maison de la Vache qui rit (45 km)
- Cluny, with its famous abbey, national stud farm and cobbled streets (47 km)
- Beaune and its Hospices (75 km)
Don’t hesitate to ask our advice if you want to visit the region, we always have plenty of ideas! You will also find several maps and brochures in the gîte for your information.
Active travel
Walking and hiking
Our gîte is on the Via Cluny, a cultural hiking route linking Payerne (in Switzerland) to Cluny. You can set off in either direction along the signposted paths. On the route through the Jura, be sure not to miss the Source de l'Ain at Conte, the Pertes de l'Ain at Bourg-de-Sirod, the Reculée de Baumes-les-Messieurs, or the incredible view of the Bresse country from the Belvédère de la Vuarde above Saint-Laurent-La-Roche.
Cycling
You will find a myriad of small country roads all around us, away from the main roads. Setting out from the gîte, you can join the cycle route of your choosing, such as the Greenway La Traverse, which connects Saint-Trivier-de-Courtes to Attignat near Bourg-en-Bresse, or the Greenway La Bressane, which connects Châlon-sur-Saône to Lons le Saunier through Louhans.
You can also reach and join the Voie Bleue at Fleurville by cycling through Pont-de-Vaux, either in the direction of Mâcon or Chalon-sur-Saône. Then continue on to the Grande Boucle de Bourgogne du Sud cycle route, or take the Voie des Vignes wine route towards Dijon.
The wine route
By car, starting out from Dijon (115km from the gîte) or Beaune (75km) – both great places to visit, by the way! – you can join the Route des Grands Crus for a great wine tourism driving tour.
Once in Santenay, you can continue on the Route des Grands Vins de la Côte Chalonnaise to reach Saint-Gengoux-le-national.
Then, the Route des Vins du Mâconnais-Beaujolais will take you up to Romanèche-Thorins, south of Mâcon.
You will drive along delightful roads through vineyards and valleys, stopping to visit well-known and lesser-known estates to taste delicious Burgundy wines, discover the region's historic heritage, or take in the many magnificent panoramic views of the Saône valley.
Activities for the entire family
In the medieval town of Romenay, you will find the L’Île de Bresse children’s indoor play park as well as the museum La Ferme du Champ Bressan.
This museum and other interesting tourist sites are part of a network called Ecomusée de la Bresse bourguignonne.
The Chemin des Carrons walking tour will take you on a discovery of the historic and architectural heritage of Romenay. Here you can see, among other vestiges of medieval times, the east and west town gates, the Bascule which houses temporary exhibitions by local artists, and the curious Maison Penchée leaning house which is now the studio-gallery of artist Gérard Jacquet de St. Nizier and his resolutely fantastical style.
And more...
In Cuisery (14km from the gîte), you can visit the Centre Eden, an educational centre dedicated to environmental awareness, with a museum displaying the diversity and wealth of Burgundy's natural environments.
You can also take a walk through the magnificent Truchère-Ratenelle National Natural Reserve and its stunning sand dunes (16km).
Fans of treetop adventure parks can choose between Lugny Acro (33km) and the Parcours Aventure de la Bresse (41km).
In Saint-Etienne-du-Bois (42km), you can visit the magnificent Ecomusée Maison de Pays en Bresse.
To keep cool in the summer, don’t miss a visit to the Grottes d'Azé underground caves (35km).
Those who love castles will find plenty to keep them happy, including the Château de Brancion (30km), the Château de Cormatin (39km) or the Château départemental de Pierre-de-Bresse (50km).
A little further in Villars-les-Dombes (68km), you will find the Parc des Oiseaux bird park, great to visit with children.
