Printable destination guide
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Beaujolais
France
- Countryside
- A vine romance
- Country life
- Haute cuisine heaven
Distinguished wines, world-renowned cuisine and ornate châteaux of honey-coloured stone – Beaujolais is everything the Francophile dreams of.
Located in the heart of France, this is a rural idyll of old villages, vineyard, lush farmland, forest and gentle hills, where the graceful Saône and Rhône rivers merge. A bright firmament of Michelin-starred restaurants offer gourmet tables overflowing with fine Burgundy and some of the best cuisine in France. Horse riding, ballooning and cycling will let you savour the rich landscape of Beaujolais, and even burn off a few calories after a night on the gastronomy.
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
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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.
more
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Beaujolais. All you have to do is make sure you've packed your favourite threads…
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Here is the map of Beaujolais; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
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Local knowledge
- Taxis
- In towns, pick one up from a taxi rank or hail one on the street. If you’re travelling in more remote areas, try to book a car in advance or prepare for a long walk.
- Tipping culture
- Restaurant and café bills usually include a service charge (service compris) but it’s customary to leave a small tip. For taxi drivers, add ten per cent to the metered charge.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Many restaurants close after 14h and reopen in the afternoon around 16h. Shops also break for lunch, except in big-city centres; most close on Sundays.
- Packing tips
- A pair of running shoes – the food is so good that you’ll have to up your fitness regime to cope.
- Recommended reads
- La Symphonie Pastorale by André Gide; Madame Bovary by Flaubert; French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano.
- Cuisine
- Haute! Haute! Haute! More (Michelin) stars than the Milky Way. Highly prized local ingredients include tender Charolais beef and excellent wines, such as Chablis and Beaujolais. The area has also given us favourites like boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin. Cheese lovers should try Epoisses, a creamy cow’s cheese said to have been Napoleon’s favourite.
- Currency
- Euro.
- Dialing codes
- Country code for France: 33. Lyon: 04.
- Do go/don't go
- Visit in May to see cherry blossom in bloom, or in autumn when turning leaves give the region a spectacular colour. The third Wednesday of November sees the town of Beaujeu come together to get a first taste of the year’s Beaujolais Nouveau. The winter months can be rainy.
Beaujolais hotels
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Beaujolais
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- Style
- Five-star castle
- Setting
- Fairy-tale gardens
- Rates from
- EUR 475
Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
- Planes
- Lyon St-Exupery airport sees regular flights throughout the year from numerous destinations.
- Trains
- High-speed TGV trains connect Lyon to the rest of France. London to Lyon takes four to six hours by Eurostar, via Lille or Paris.
- Automobiles
- A car is recommended if you want to visit the vineyards, châteaux and historic towns scattered throughout the region.
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.
Beautifully Beaujolais
Follow the wine route through the region by visiting the villages of Brouilly, Saint-Amour, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent. Your hotel can organise a visit to the nearby cellars of Francisque Rivière.
- 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).
Eating, drinking and dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Beaujolais. All you have to do is make sure you've packed your favourite threads…
Restaurants
Maison Troisgros
Run by one of France’s thrice-Michelin-starred chefs, the magical food, monastically calm kitchen and immaculate cellars make this an unmissable destination.
Place Jean Troisgros, Roanne
+33 (0)4 77 71 66 97
Troisgros
This bistro prepares simple food with a touch of glamour.
Place Jean Troisgros, Roanne
La Rotonde
This art deco restaurant (closed Sunday and Monday) has fine formal dining.
Avenue du Casino, La Tour-de-Salvagny
+33 (0)4 78 87 00 97
Léon de Lyon
A celebrated restaurant, this venue is a century-old temple to haute cuisine. Its bistro is ideal for lunch.
Rue Pleney, Lyon
+33 (0)4 72 10 11 12
Nicolas le Bec
Minimalist and Asian-inspired, this restaurant is the new-wave in French cooking and offers all the latest foams and froths.
Rue Grolée, Lyon
+33 (0)4 78 42 15 00
Grand Café des Négociants
A decidedly grand establishment, this restaurant has fine food in plush gilt-and-mirror surroundings.
Place Francisque Régaud
+33 (0)4 78 42 50 05
Bars and clubs
Victoria Hall
Ths urbane cocktail bar wouldn’t be out of place in Manhattan.
Rue de Repos
Le Boudoir
The clubby, informal atmosphere of this place is great for late-night drinks.
Jules Ferry
©2008 Mr & Mrs Smith
Pictured: Château de Bagnols
