RegionOutline guide

Saône-et-Loire

Department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Photo: photography taken by Christophe.Finot, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Saône-et-Loire is a department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Tourism in this region is founded on its varied landscape (the Saône plain, the Mâconnais, and the Charolais), its gastronomy with the prestigious Mâconnais wines, the charolais beef, the poulet de Bresse (Bresse chicken), and its rich architectural sites (Autun, Cluny, Paray-le-Monial, and Tournus).

Getting there and around

Getting there

By train
TGV stops are in Mâcon, Chalon-sur-Saône, and Le Creusot. TGV trains run from Paris and Lyon to Le Creusot every two hours, taking 1 hour 20 minutes from Paris and 40 minutes from Lyon.
By car
The A6 motorway runs through the department.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Dole Tavaux Airport

Dole · Regional · DLE

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Cities

Autun

small hill town with very well-preserved ancient Roman walls and a great Romanesque cathedral

Chalon-sur-Saône

the biggest city in the department and a hub of road and river transport already as a Roman city

Mâcon

colourful city on the river Saône, gateway to the Beaujolais wine region

Paray-le-Monial

small town with attractive 11th-century basilica

Cluny

Small town built around Cluny Abbey

Taizé Community

a monastic community and pilgrimage site

Read before you go to Saône-et-Loire

Articles and travel topics about Saône-et-Loire and France.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

UnderstandThe department is home to the Charolais cattle, which not only look beautiful but also produce particularly tender and tasty meat.

Get inMâcon is 90 km from Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport (IATA:LYS).

See

DoThis department is dominated by the Canal du Centre, which connects the Saône and Loire rivers. Those with a houseboat or bicycle can use the canal to explore the region. Bikes and boats are also available for rent.

EatSaône-et-Loire cuisine is particularly famous for its snails (escargots de Bourgogne). Prepared Burgundy style, they are a delicacy.

DrinkLe Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé! Every year, on the third Thursday in November, the new Beaujolais wine arrives in bars and restaurants across France and in other locations around the world.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Saône-et-Loire" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Saône-et-Loire", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: photography taken by Christophe.Finot, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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