The undulating landscape of the Mâconnais, between the Saône river in the east and the Grosne river in the west, is a lot more hilly than the rest of the Burgundy Saône Valley. Its landscape is very typical for this part of Burgundy. From a far distance one can recognise the impressive rocks, dominating the plains. The most famous rock is without a doubt the Roche de Solutré, but the Roche de Vergisson is just as impressive as its neighbour. Both will please people who like to go out walking, many walking paths have been set out offering wonderful panoramic views. One of the nicest view points of the Mâconnais is the Signal de la Mère Boitier (highest peak of the Mâconnais at 758 m, south-west of Solutré) overlooking the plains of the Bresse and further to the East one will be able to recognise the Jura mountains. Another great view point is the Mont St Romain (579 m, north of Mâcon) giving you a good overview of the South of the Mâconnais and its magnificent landscape.
Other than its superb landscapes, the Mâconnais offers many picturesque villages and romanesque architecture. Tournus of course, with the Saint Philibert Abbey (celebrated its 1000th birtday in 2008), but also Brançion (fortified village perched on hill top), Chapaize (wonderful bell tower overlooking the rural surroundings) and Clessé (wine village with beautiful old houses)…. These are only a few examples of the treasures hidden in the Mâconnais. In the far South of the Mâconnais around the city of Mâcon, the « Route Lamartine » (in honour of the famous French poet Lamartine) leads the visitor to some very nice places of interest: the city of Mâcon, the banks of the river Saône, the Lamartine museum, the wonderful village of Milly-Lamartine (here one can visit Lamartine’s childhood house), Berzé la Ville and Berzé le Chatel and Château de Pierreclos. Wheather one has heard of Lamartine or not, the special route is a very nice and charming experience.
Besides Château de Pierreclos, the area boasts many different castles like Château de la Greffière (16th century castle), Château de Berzé and Château de Vinzelles (origin of castle dating back to 1007).
The wine of the monks
The wine and the vine yards take a very important part of the Mâconnais. A historic part, it was the monks of the Abbey of Cluny who planted the first vines in this part of Burgundy. The wine production was an important part of the income of the Abbey.
Today the area (stretching out from the limits of the Beaujolais to Tournus) is chequered with vine yards planted with the grape varieties Pinot Noir and Gamay for red wines and Chardonnay for the white wines. The white wine production represents 2/3rd of the total wine production in the Mâconnais. The best known white wine in the area is most definitely Pouilly-Fuissé, a splendid wine with a golden colour and aromas of nuts and almonds. Next door neighbours Pouilly-Loché, Pouilly-Vinzelles and Saint Véran are highly appreciated as well. Globally, the best white wines from the Mâconnais are produced in the far south; the Pouilly vine yards actually mark the limits of Burgundy and Beaujolais.
