MAGNY COURS

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Nevers lies on the confluence of the rivers Loire and Nievre and like most of the other towns in Burgundy is best approached from the river. Here you'll be able to appreciate this noble looking town which has many attractions to tempt the visitor.

Nevers offers the charm of its picturesque little streets, the Porte du Croux, a gateway tower surviving from the mediaeval fortifications and nowadays the home of the Nivernais Archaeological Museum, and the walk along the Ramparts (Promenade des Remparts).

This Promenade leads to the Frédéric Blandin Municipal Museum which is essentially devoted to Nevers pottery but also possesses some fine collections of spun glass.

The Couvent Saint-Gildard is cut off from the historical parts of town by the Parc Roger Salengro. In this convent of the Sisters of Charity are the mortal remains of St Bernadette Soubirous, the little visionary of Lourdes who took the veil here at the age of 23.

Casino de Pougues-les-Eaux

Try your hand a one of the 80 slot machines, Black Jack and Russian Roulette. The Casino is approximately 12km north of nevers.

Hot Air Balloon:

The sumptuous landscapes in Burgundy are a marvellous setting for this timeless voyage. Discover the picturesque villages and the well-known Burgundy vineyards. Air Escargot (based at Remigny) operate from Spring to Autumn, and flights last between one hour to an hour and a half. Counting the time to inflate the balloon and return to base, the adventure takes a total of 3 hours. The rides are run early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the turbulence of the sun.

Burgundy Vineyards:

Here are four wine routes for exploring Burgundy and discovering its fabled wines: 

The “Route des Grands Crus”

From Dijon, where the Marcs d’Or district still bears witness to the wine-growing past of Burgundy’s capital, all the way to the famous wine village of Santenay overlooking the Canal du Centre, the “Route des Grands Crus” takes the visitor through the vineyards of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, not forgetting the back hills (Hautes-Côtes) behind and above the wine slopes. This 80-kilometre itinerary is punctuated by no fewer than 33 localities (villages or little towns), with any number of places to eat and drink (in moderation of course) and inestimable gems of history and art to discover

The “Route des vignobles de l’Yonne”

In the northern part of Burgundy, vineyards of quality have grown up along a narrow strip of land where river erosion has rendered the soil particularly propitious: the Chablisien and its seven grands crus in the Serein valley, the Auxerrois and the Jovinien in the Yonne valley, the Tonnerrois in the Armançon valley and the Vézelien in the Cure valley.

Thanks to the skill acquired, first in Chablis and then elsewhere, in combating the ravages of spring frost, these vineyards have taken on a new lease of life in recent years. The red wines of Irancy and Épineuil, the fresh whites of Vézelay, the vintage wines of Chablis, the grey wine of Joigny – a host of colours and aromas to entice the traveller. In the five wine-growing areas of the Yonne, the signposted circuits bearing the distinctive “grape” logo of the “Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne” (B.I.V.B.) will help you to explore the wine villages and make the most of their attractions.

Just some of the highlights to be enjoyed as a complement to the 89 wine properties listed on the Route: the Romanesque Basilica of Vézelay (part of UNESCO World Heritage), the radiant clarity of the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny, the extraordinarily beautiful townscape of Auxerre overlooking the Yonne valley and its busy waterway traffic,  Tonnerre with its Hôtel-Dieu and its enigmatic Fosse Dionne (washhouse of blue-green water).

The “Route Touristique des Grands Vins”

The “Route Touristique des Grands Vins de Bourgogne” naturally extends the “Route des Grands Crus” by some 100 km to the south. Stretching from Santenay in the north to the medieval village of Saint-Gengoux-le-National, the Route takes you through some of the great Burgundy appellations.

After wending its way through the Maranges, a recent Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) which has asserted its full individual character since its separation from the Côte de Beaune, the itinerary crosses the Côte Chalonnaise with its villages of international repute : Rully, Mercurey, Givry, Buxy, etc.. You can also reach Mercurey via the picturesque Côtes du Couchois, while the village of Bouzeron, near Chagny, holds the proud distinction of possessing the only single-village Aligoté appellation.

Not far from the wine-growing area, the town of Chalon-sur-Saône, cradle of photography, awaits your visit: the Musée Nicéphore-Niepce dedicated to the inventor of this art; the Hôtel-Dieu situated in the Ile Saint-Laurent on the Saône; Old Chalon huddled around the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent. Each year, during the third weekend of July, Chalon becomes a second Avignon with its famous “Chalon dans la Rue” street festival.

The Canal du Centre, running alongside meadows with grazing Charolais cattle, and the “Voie Verte”, a paradise for cyclists and roller skaters, provide a superb opportunity to discover the many splendours of this itinerary from a different angle.

 
The “Route des Vins Mâconnais-Beaujolais”

The 500 km long “Route des Vins Mâconnais-Beaujolais” (Mâconnais-Beaujolais Wine Route) embraces 64 villages as it explores the landscapes and legacy of the southernmost part of Burgundy in all their infinite variety.

Starting from Mâcon and Cluny, the itineraries are of variable length – between 15 and 120 km – and may be combined to provide a half or full-day exploration of the many facets of the Mâconnais and the Beaujolais.

Mâcon blanc, Mâcon rouge, Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Amour and Moulin-à-Vent are all names to conjure with, while the villages associated with them abound with romanesque churches and chapels, imposing castles and handsome mansions, not forgetting the winegrowers’ houses with their characteristic outside staircases and upstairs gallery, and a host of fountains and washhouses.

The rocky outcrops of Solutré and Vergisson, and the mediaeval village of Brancion are the high spots in this landscape of vineyards, meadows and fields defined by the monastic towns of Cluny and Tournus.

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