Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Beaujolais has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
- Viewpoint
- In the heart of the Pouilly-Fuissé vineyards, the Rock of Solutré overlooks the entire Bresse region. President Mitterrand used to climb this limestone escarpment once a year.
- Arts and culture
- Pay a visit to one or more of Burgundy’s splendid châteaux. The moated Château de Cormatin, between Tournus and Cluny, contains wonderfully opulent rooms (www.chateaudecormatin.com). The formal gardens of the 17th-century Château de La Chaize are breathtaking (www.chateaudelachaize.com).
- Something for nothing
- There’s excellent cycling through peaceful villages between Cluny monastery and Juliénas. There are some hills but also some wonderful views.
- Shopping
- There’s a daily food market on Place aux Herbes in Mâcon (except Mondays) and on Saturday morning on Quai Lamartine. There’s also a great covered market in Villefranche on Sundays. Open-air stalls on Croix-Rousse hill and Quai St-Antoine in Lyon are great for local specialities like St-Marcellin cheese and boudin noir (black pudding). Historic master pâtissier Pignol on Rue Emile Zola sells delicate confections. The city rivals Paris for designer shopping, particularly on Rue Emile Zola, Rue du Président Edouard Herriot and Place Kléber. Lyon is also famous for its silk scarfs.
- Daytripper
- Lyon is a great place to visit for a day. Bring some flat shoes for the cobbled streets of Old Lyon, then follow the labyrinthine underground passages, used by the city’s 18th-century silk-makers to carry their delicate fabrics under cover from Silk Hill down to the river barges.
- Activities
- The hotel can organise numerous activities, from hot-air ballooning, horse riding, wine-tasting and guided tours of Lyon and the historic castles and villages of Beaujolais.
Diary
- July Lyon’s Roman amphiteatre hosts Les Nuits de Fouvière, a festival dedicated to the performing arts. Third Wednesday of November The new Beaujolais wine is unveiled in the town of Beaujeu en Ligne. December The Festival of Light is held just before New Year in Lyon, when windows are lit with candles and there is a lantern procession through the city. Concerts and operas are held at the same time (www.lyon-france.com).
