Booking Codes G108 & G113

Historic Bourgogne Wednesday 29th June Wednesday 7th September

9 days staying full board at the 4* Mercure £1,825 Single room supplement only £275

The Natalia negotiates the aqueduct at St-Florentin on the de Bourgogne

A history-themed cruise into the “Gateway to ” as we follow the remote and scenic between St-Florentin and , with visits along the way to some of the great regional attractions, including the renaissance châteaux of and Ancy-le-Franc, and the great Cistercian Abbeys of Fontenay and .

In this 9-day package we cruise for 4 days, with our intervening time then spent in relaxed exploration by coach. We connect from the UK by Eurostar into Paris, then a bus transfer to Paris Bercy and a regional train taking us to destination with scenic views of the Valley along the way. We stay at the excellent 4* Mercure hotel just outside , where we include a full day of sightseeing as part of our programme. Other highlights of our week include lunches alongside the River Yonne in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne and in Époisses, famed for its soft cheese; a visit to mediaeval for market day; a visit to the Fosse Dionne in Tonnerre and the Forges de Buffon near Montbard; free time in the city of ; and a guided tour of the Caves d’Arcy, where some of the world’s oldest cave drawings are to be seen.

Over these few days our cruise will cover around 85km of this historic waterway accompanied throughout by the pretty River Armançon. The original canal project, started in 1775 as a collaboration between Louis XV and the Dukes of Burgundy, was halted by the French Revolution in 1795 and then resumed in 1808 by a Napoleonic decree allowing construction to be privatised. It was only in 1832 that the canal was finally opened to through navigation. Our cruising may be in either direction. Here we describe the daily cruises as they will be in the

Booking Codes G108 & G113

eastbound direction starting in St-Florentin, but the same content applies in reverse for cruising westwards from Montbard.

St-Florentin to Tonnerre

Our cruise begins against the scenic backdrop of St-Florentin, whose imposing 16th century church dominates the skyline from some distance. As we depart St-Florentin we are immediately into mostly arable farmland, with the cruise corridor often tree-lined. There are 42 locks to encounter over the week and 11 of them on this first day as we follow the Armançon upstream, providing opportunity for a towpath stroll where locks are closely-spaced. We pass a succession of villages through the day, Flogny-la-Chapelle the most substantial of them, but there is little to disturb the rural idyll and every prospect of bird and wildlife sightings.

As we approach Tonnerre we enter the wine production domains of Épineuil and Tonnerre itself, reminding us that we are now in Burgundy wine country with only a few miles away to our south. Tonnerre is well- known too for the Fosse Dionne – a karst spring around which the town developed in Roman times and a registered Monument Historique not just for the great natural spring but also for the historic lavoir (wash house) built around it in the 18th century.

The Fosse Dionne in Tonnerre – photo courtesy Wikipedia and author Ibex 73

Tonnerre to Lézinnes

Today we continue eastwards from Tonnerre through quiet countryside, with more chances to enjoy a walk along the towpath between locks. As lunchtime approaches we reach the small town of Tanlay, and here we pause for guests to enjoy a guided visit to the 16th/17th century Château. This is one of Burgundy’s most beautiful Renaissance-style buildings, augmented by its walled garden, moat, and magnificent avenue of lime trees. The Château is only a 400m stroll from the canal mooring but we will have transport at hand in case needed.

As the canal continues out of Tanlay it starts to meander more extravagantly with the contours, passing the small villages of St-Vinnemer and Ancy-le-Libre as we close-in on our moorings for the day in the small town of Lézinnes.

Booking Codes G108 & G113

Lézinnes to Ravières

More delightful scenery awaits today as we track the winding course of the Armançon through to the old fortified town of Ravières. This morning we glimpse the pretty villages of Pacy-sur-Armançon and Argenteuil- sur-Armançon before a lunchtime pause at Ancy-le-Franc allowing us a guided visit to another of the great Châteaux of Burgundy. The Renaissance Château of Ancy-le-Franc is unique in its layout of four matching wings and is greatly celebrated for its adornment of renaissance mural paintings and for the stunning formal gardens. As with Tanlay, the château is close to the waterway but we will have a bus available to shuttle guests as the connecting road can be rather busy.

Château Ancy-le-Franc

Resuming our cruising later in the afternoon, we pass two more sleepy villages at Chassingnelles and before we conclude for the day in Ravières, notable for its ancient fortifications and white stone quarries.

Ravières to Montbard

There’s a distinct change of setting for our final cruise leg as the Armançon valley becomes increasingly forested and, here & there, diverted by rocky outcrops which are the haunt of peregrine falcons. We pass more small villages so typical of this unspoiled area, including Cry, Perrigny, Aisy and Rougemont.

In the village of Buffon we pause for a guided visit to the restored Les Forges de Buffon, constructed in 1768 and one of the foundations of the European industrial revolution. Buffon takes its name from George Louis Buffon of Montbard, great naturalist of his time and advisor to the Kings of . Buffon constructed his forge by damming the Armançon to feed water mills which powered the airflow feeding this pioneering blast-furnace.

From Buffon the canal winds its way onwards past the village of St-Remy and into Montbard, where there is more evidence of the heritage of George Buffon, including the park, chapel, hotel and two museums proudly bearing his name.

Three excursion days then complement our programme. The first of them takes us close to our cruise route as we head just beyond Montbard for an audio-guided visit to the UNESCO-listed Abbaye de Fontenay. Founded in

Booking Codes G108 & G113

1118, this is one of the oldest and most complete Cistercian Abbeys in Europe – of the original complex the church, dormitory, cloister, bath house, dovecote and forge are all still intact – only the refectory has been lost.

Fontenay Abbey – picture courtesy Marc Ryckaert

From the Abbey our coach takes us on a scenic half-hour cross-country ride to the village of Époisses, famous for its distinctive soft cheese. We will enjoy lunch here, including a sampling of the village’s wonderful cheese accompanied by wine from nearby Chablis.

After lunch there is more scenery to savour as we skirt the northern edge of the Regional Park, past the town of , and onwards to Arcy-sur-. Here we have a guided visit to the spectacular limestone Caves d’Arcy, an amazing warren of geological history and home to the second-oldest known cave paintings in all of Europe. [there are about 100 steps along the guided pathways and some places where it is necessary to stoop – it is well-lit and guided throughout and quite even underfoot aside from the steps, but not advised for anyone of impaired mobility].

From Arcy it’s a scenic drive back to hotel via Auxerre, but we pause briefly en route in the village of Cravant where there is Hundred Years’ War history to be recounted. The Battle of Cravant in 1423 was fought between on the one side English freebooters in alliance with the Dukes of Burgundy, opposed by Royal French forces backed by their Scottish allies. A forerunner of Brexit perhaps.

Booking Codes G108 & G113

As we leave Cravant we will cross the River Yonne and glimpse its companion the , well known as one of the “canal journeys” of Prunella Scales and Timothy West.

Our second excursion day sees more of the lovely River Yonne but first we make just east of Auxerre to visit the great Cathedral-Abbey of Pontigny. Built in the 12th century, this is the largest of all Cistercian churches, 108 metres long with a 4,000 m² floor area. The abbey rests in an estate of 10 hectares planted with century-old trees, and reflects the transition between Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, Pontigny welcomed two exiled archbishops of Canterbury: Thomas Becket and Stephen Langton. One of their successors, Edmund of Abingdon, canonised in 1246 and known in France as St. Edme, was laid to rest in the sanctuary. This plaque on the abbey interior explains some of the remarkable history of the cathedral organ.

Booking Codes G108 & G113

From Pontigny we pause briefly in where we find the Canal de Bourgogne’s junction with the River Yonne, and from here we track the Yonne downstream as far as the historic gated town of Villeneuve-sur- Yonne. Here we set-down alongside the river to take lunch at the Auberge La Lucarne aux Chouettes, always a highlight of our Yonne cruises. Either side of lunch there should be a little time to explore the town, which is circuited by a partly intact 12th century wall, built when Villeneuve was one of the residences of the French kings. There are classic entrance gates at each end of the main throughfare and visitors are also drawn to the lovely Gothic Church of Notre-Dame, which has some stained glass windows dating back to the 13th century.

Departing Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, we continue along the Yonne Valley the short way to Sens for a free afternoon sightseeing in the city, which still has many traces of its medieval past. Its 12th-16th century cathedral of St. Stephen is one of France's great Gothic cathedrals and much visited for its magnificent stained-glass windows, and the old city centre and surrounding garden boulevards are a delight to stroll.

Our final excursion day is centred on another great city of Burgundy, Auxerre, but first we make the short hop from hotel to mediaeval Joigny for the regular market day. The market hall here is alongside the river and the historic upper town with its streets of half-timbered houses is immediately adjacent, so it’s an opportunity for exploration for anyone not so interested in the shopping. Leaving Joigny, it’s then about a half-hour ride into Auxerre, where the rest of the day is free for sightseeing. Guests should be sure to explore both the mediaeval upper town, with its magnificent Cathedral, Abbey St-Germain, and horological clock, and at lower level the riverside vista which is truly memorable. A regular free minibus shuttles between the riverfront and upper town and there are many spots to simply relax and watch the world go by. Lunch is not included today.

For our homebound journey we expect to leave the hotel after a leisurely breakfast for our regional train service from Joigny into Paris, with a bus transfer between train termini in Paris ahead of a mid-afternoon Eurostar service to London.

Booking Codes G108 & G113

The Daily Programme

St-Florentin to Montbard staying at the 4* Mercure Appoigny Day Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA 1 Report St Pancras by 09:00 for late morning Eurostar to Paris. Cross Paris bus Hotel ETA 18:00 Wed connection for regional train service to Joigny. Local bus transfer to hotel at Appoigny 2 St-Florentin Tonnerre 26/11 On board All day cruise – time to Hotel 09:00/16:30 09:30 16:00 visit the Fosse Dionne post-cruise 3 Coach excursion to the Abbaye de Fontenay 10:00-12:00. Lunch at a restaurant in Hotel 09:00/17:30 Époisses. Afternoon guided visit to the Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure 14:30-16:30 4 Lézinnes Ravières 20/9 On board Visit Château Ancy-le- Hotel 08:30/17:30 09:30 16:30 Franc 13:00-15:00 5 Visit to Pontigny Abbey 10:00-11:30. Pause at the canal junction in Migennes, then Hotel 09:30/17:30 onwards for restaurant lunch in Villeneuve sur Yonne. Afternoon free time in Sens 15:00-17:00 6 Montbard Ravières 19/11 On board All day cruise with visit Hotel 09:00/17:00 10:00 16:00 to the Forges de Buffon 7 To Joigny for market day 09:00-10:30. Onwards to Auxerre for free day, return to Hotel 08:30/17:00 Tue hotel departs at 16:30 Lunch not included today 8 Lézinnes Tonnerre 20/11 On board Visit Château de Tanlay Hotel 09:00/18:00 10:00 17:00 13:00-15:00 9 Mid-morning connection from Joigny for mid-afternoon Eurostar from Paris to - ETD 09:30 London. Cross-Paris bus connection. Lunch not included today

What’s Included:

• Eurostar transfers between London and Paris • Cross-Paris bus between railheads • Regional trains between Paris and Joigny • 8 Nights hotel accommodation at the 4* Mercure in Appoigny (Auxerre) • All meals excluding only lunches on the travel days and lunch on the free day spent in Auxerre • 4 days cruising 85km of the Canal de Bourgogne between St-Florentin and Montbard • Complimentary Bar whilst cruising • Free time in Auxerre, Sens and Villeneuve-sur-Yonne • Riverside restaurant lunch in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne • Restaurant lunch in Époisses • Visit to Château de Tanlay • Visit to Château Ancy-le-Franc • Visit to Abbaye de Fontenay • Visit to Abbaye de Pontigny • Visit to Caves d’Arcy • Visit to the Forges de Buffon • Visit to Joigny for market day • Visit the Fosse Dionne in Tonnerre

Guests should please budget separately for:

• Travel to or from London St Pancras • Any overnight accommodation required in UK preceding or following our Eurostar transfers • Lunch on travel days and on the day we visit Auxerre • Travel and Health Insurance

Booking Codes G108 & G113

Our Hotel:

The popular and convenient 4* Mercure at Appoigny is set in rural surroundings a few km north of Auxerre and is well situated as a base for our cruising range for the week. This air-conditioned hotel offers all the normal facilities expected of a Mercure, including a pleasant garden area and outdoor pool. Its modern restaurant offers traditional Burgundy cuisine.

Eurostar Journey Times

[Awaiting post-pandemic timetable]

Travelling Direct

Guests wishing to join the tour in Auxerre by travelling direct will be welcome to do so. In this case the tour price will be abated by the cost of our Eurostar and regional train transfers. Please ask for further information if required.

Auxerre – the Abbey St-Germain at twilight