Off the Brancionbrancion D14 Near Tournus, but One Night Was Enough Toto U R N Us and We Left in the Morning

continental touring: burgundy lying insects were everywhere – the largest abbey in Christendom; an art I couldn’t venture outside the and archaeological museum; the largest caravan without walking into a number of Romanesque houses of any F BrancionBrancion D14 cloud of them. It was a pleasant farm site Off the town in France, and a national stud farm. ToTo u r n u s near Tournus, but one night was enough Only the south transept and a few stones CormatinCormatin D161 and we left in the morning. remain of the once magnificent abbey. Be D56 We moved to an idyllic hilltop site warned, it can get very crowded and very above the wine village of Lugny, where hot in summer as it is one of Burgundy’s LugnyLugny D163 we were shaded by stunted oak trees. most popular sights. e beaten track n ô Vineyards covered the low hills below a S and into the distance. Once settled, a La Roche de Solutré D82 a L typical day would be spent taking a This, another superb viewpoint, is very D15 substantial walk before lunch, followed popular too, but it’s worth the effort. Try AzéAzé ClunyCluny by a visit to a château, museum or cave in to go early, before the crowds. We visited the afternoon. Friday morning was spent on a Sunday morning, when the light was D85 D82 in Lugny at the weekly market, where clear and sharp. A circular path winds N79 local produce – fruit, vegetables, bread steeply through scrub up to the summit, and fresh Charolais cheese – could all be but the sublime views over the luxuriant bought. Poully-Fuisse vineyards give you plenty of This whole area is ideal walking excuses to pause along the way. This country and it’s almost impossible to lose wealthy, man-made environment is yourself since all routes are excellently dotted by tiny villages or an isolated mass. MâconMâcon signposted and you can pick up a number The view from the peak is breathtaking of free walking guides. A network of and extends to the distant horizon in undulating paths lead from village to every direction. Over to the east, we village through vineyards, past fields of could just make out the snow-covered LyonLyon sunflowers, maize, brilliant splashes of cone of Mont Blanc! cornflowers, vetch, and the humble The land below Solutré was a hunting convolvulus with numerous species of site for 25,000 years. Consequently, butterfly darting in between. bones from animals throughout that Romanesque churches and occasional Palaeolithic period have been excavated châteaux break up the view. telling us about the life and climate of those times. The museum at the bottom Brancion and Tournus provides an excellent commentary in Nearby, the village of Brancion is easily your chosen language, which takes you recognisable, with its medieval château, TERRY BROWN FOUND THAT A VISIT TO BURGUNDY CAN 30 years of collecting by its owner, an through the stages of prehistory. Entry is enjoying an elevated position atop a hill. enthusiastic amateur cyclist. Less than free on the first Sunday of every month. No cars are allowed in the village so the five euros buys entrance to an ancient When we came out we watched atmosphere of the little place is BE MUCH MORE REWARDING IF YOU ‘GET ON YER BIKE’ restored barn where the an unsteady line of preserved. Three euros buys you entrance exhibits are on two levels. “a friendly lady ramblers making its to the château and a helpful printed guide ABOVE: An excuse to lady persuaded us to buy more wine A few detours Downstairs are children’s erratic way between in your own language. There is plenty to pause on the way up the than we had planned... oh well! Within a short car drive are several places bikes, working bikes for deliv- persuaded us the vines. It turned Roche de Solutre see including a sanctuary stone, some Tournus, the main tourist town which, in Michelin terminology, “merite ery and sales, novelty bikes, out to be the BELOW: Cormatin and memorabilia. Upstairs is to buy more original 10th-century herringbone walls, château from over the hereabouts, has a fine tree-lined un detour”. But the journeys themselves vineyard equivalent ancient towers, and magnificent views in maze quayside along the river Saône in its are distractingly interesting, and you can the history of cycling from the wine than we of a pub-crawl, all directions. RIGHT: Cormatin château centre. From there, narrow alleyways discover some additional little-known earliest model, a Draisienne allowing participants Below the château the village’s gardens lead past old houses with internal places of interest. Mont St Romain, for of 1820, wooden bikes, had planned” to taste the wine at unmade tracks weave between the FAR RIGHT: Lugny camp courtyards to the town centre. Here, a example, a short distance south-west of home-made bikes, right each vineyard along the site, shaded by stunted austere grey stone houses to the magnificent Romanesque abbey is a Brancion reaches a height of 587m. Steps through all the stages up to way. That seemed like such a good oak trees Romanesque church at the other end. haven of peace amoung the busy streets. lead up to a viewing platform and the the latest models including the bike on idea that we joined them in a Pouilly- Next stop was the local wine cave at The crypt is open to visitors, with its view is just amazing – a full 360-degree which Jose Meiffret broke the World Fuisse wine cave – not a bad place to Martailly-lès-Brancon, where a friendly early sculptured capitals and its well. panorama across Burgundy. Speed Record in 1979 with a speed of conclude our varied trip at all! We also ‘discovered’ another 204.778kph. There are more than 150 Romanesque church at Chissey-lès- bicycles altogether. It’s a must for any Mâcon. It’s a lovely old building with cycling enthusiast. CAMPSITES carved capitals and a 10th-century font I Camping Le Hameau des Champs, 71460 Cormatin. Tel 03 85 50 76 71. Has all the inside. Nearby Chapaize is a very clean Well-known sites of interest facilities you might expect (excluding swimming pool). Pleasant enough, but in 2003 and well-ordered little village and its Some of the better-known tourist the newly-planted trees were too small to give significant shade. (See p303 Caravan church has a magnificent tower which is attractions still warrant a visit, so after you Europe 2005, Vol 1) so high it seems out of proportion. Inside, have made some unique discoveries of I Camping Le Gue, Messeugne, 71460 Savigny-sur-Grosne. This is a very large site the church has been thoroughly but your own, the caves at Azé are with lots of permanent caravans. (p303) I sensitively restored leaving traces of old worthwhile. They are divided into two Camp Municipal St Pierre, 71260 Lugny. Tel 03 85 33 20 25 or 03 85 33 21 96 wall murals. main areas; the first where animals and (Mairie). At the top of a hill above Lugny, on a quiet road. Flat pitches, all shaded by oak trees. Good standard toilet block (p484) humans have lived for thousands of years I Aire Naturelle de Camping a La Ferme de Malo(Goujon), Champlieu, 71240 Bicycles anyone? – skeletons are there in place. The second Etrigny. Tel 03 85 92 21 47 or 03 85 92 23 40. This is the farm site with all the insects. Another unusual, lesser-known gem is the is largely geological. I expect we were just unlucky and they are not always a pest. It is a pleasant, quiet Musée du Velo just outside Cormatin. It Next stop was Cluny. Cluny prides site by a small stream with clean and adequate facilities. (p610) has been open for six years and represents itself on having the remains of what was 44 The Caravan Club Magazine February 2005 www.caravanclub.co.uk www.caravanclub.co.uk The Caravan Club Magazine February 2005 45.

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