Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire)

Pont de St-Laurent in Macon

Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire) mini guide

Mâcon is the town situated furthest South in Burgundy and is possibly one of the first towns when heading south that has a Mediterranean feel to it.

Macon is a pleasant and lively town and like a lot of places in Burgundy, its biggest asset is its wine. The town used to be known for its red wine, but it is now the largest producing area of white wine in Burgundy. The wine produced here is typically a pleasant everyday wine, light and dry and quite cheap.

In May, Mâcon hosts the Concours des Grands Vins de France, which is one of the largest international wine fairs in France

Mâcon is a great place to visit if you enjoy wine-tasting and wish to spend your days sipping the local produce.

Things To Do

Although there may not be so many places to visit as in other towns in the area, Mâcon is still a lovely town to spend some time. In addition to the wine tasting, the town is lovely to wander around, in particular the part of the town along the banks of the Saone River

The old part of the town, set back slightly from the river, has some attractive and interesting buildings to discover.

Mâcon boasts a number of excellent restaurants for visitors to choose from, many of which enjoy and overlook the banks of the river. The majority of eateries serve local Burgundian cuisine, which is made using high quality regional ingredients, such as Bresse poultry and Charlois meat.

There is plenty to do come the evening with several nightclubs to choose from as well as two large theatres, an amplified concert hall and a jazz club.

During late July and August, jazz bands perform evening concerts in the streets and other musicians play throughout the summer months.

Places of Interest

• Maison du Bois Doré - the biggest tourist attraction in Mâcon, an elaborate wooden house built in the early 16th century and situated on the corner of the Place des Herbes.
• The Hameau du Vin Park - a short distance outside of Mâcon, demonstrates the entire winemaking process from production to consumption. It features a cinema, cafe, restaurant and bistro, railway station and railway museum, extensive gardens and working vineyard.
• Château de la Greffière - built in the 15th century, it displays an exhibition dedicated to the wine trade.
• Cathedral St-Vincent - a romantic building, formerly known as the Eglise St Napoleon. Classified as national property after the revolution, it was sold and partially demolished. On a clear day you can see as far as Mont Blanc from the top of its two towers.

Weather

Summers are usually warm or hot with a continental feel to them and mainly dry. The climate in the spring and autumn is similar to that of South-eastern England, a mixture of sun and scattered showers with temperatures in the mid 20's.