Southern Burgundy is one of France's most beautiful regions.

You may have passed through it on your vacation route to the Côte d'Azur, or stayed to visit the Burgundy vineyards and the Beaujolais region (classified by Unesco).

discover our guest rooms in Leynes and take your time to explore the hidden treasures of this region, famous for its wine and particularly well-preserved Romanesque art.

the village of Leynes
Leynes is a small village typical of the region. Located in the southern Mâconnais region, you can visit its Romanesque church, relax in the village square and play a game of pétanque, or tour the restaurants and sample the local wines. And don't miss the opening of the village wine cellar, which is open every Sunday afternoon in season.

discover below the sites not to be missed during your stay in Leynes:

Cultural heritage sites

Discover one of Southern Burgundy's most emblematic natural treasures: the Roche de Solutré. This majestic site, classified as a Grand Site de France, offers breathtaking panoramic views over the Mâcon vineyards and the Saône valley.

Set in an exceptional landscape, the Roche de Solutré is a symbol of the region, famous for its prehistoric history and impressive limestone cliffs. As you explore the paths leading to its summit, you'll discover a unique panorama that stretches as far as the Alps on a clear day.

The village of Solutré-Pouilly, nestled at the foot of the rock, is a typical South Burgundy gem. Here you can sample local wines from the famous Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran appellations, while admiring the Romanesque art and architecture typical of the region.

Don't forget to visit the Musée de la Préhistoire, located at the foot of the rock, to learn more about the first civilizations to inhabit this region. For lovers of nature and history, the Roche de Solutré is a must-see during your stay in the region.

Founded in 910 by the Duke of Aquitaine and the Count of Auvergne Guillaume I, it was a leading intellectual center in the classical Middle Ages. It was the largest religious building in Europe until the construction of St. Peter's in Rome.

It was soon classified as a historic monument, and the former abbey was awarded the European Heritage Label.

Since the 19th century, it has been home to one of the eight centers of the Ecole des Arts et Métiers, one of France's leading engineering schools.

In 2017, silver denarii and gold Arab-Muslim dinars dating back to the 12th century were discovered. Perhaps you too can make a surprising discovery!

Bambina's tip:
The new tour, which opens in 2020, brings new features. Archival images, watercolors, plans, reconstructions and photographs of unseen details illustrate the texts.

The "Did you see?" and "Did you know?" bubbles enable young visitors to enjoy a tour tailored to their needs

The Haras de Cluny is a French national stud farm. It was built between 1814 and 1880 at the instigation of Napoleon I. It was built on the foundations of the former Cluny Abbey, using materials from its demolition after the French Revolution. The museum is steeped in history and boasts an important collection of horse-drawn vehicles.

Numerous events are organized at the stud during the summer. For example, the "Thursdays of Cluny". These take place over the course of an afternoon and feature a presentation of the stallions, accompanied by music. You can also see acts by equestrian artists, take a tour of the stables and discover the trades that make up the team at this exceptional stud farm.

It's a rare visit that will leave you with lasting memories, whether you're a fan of beautiful stallions or not.

Bambina's tip:
Take advantage of the school vacations to pass your Galops!

Romanesque art is highlighted by the frescoes in this 900-year-old chapel. They are considered one of the finest testimonies to this age-old art.

Bambina's tip:
The paintings in the Chapelle des Moines de Berzé-la-Ville are a masterpiece of 12th-century mural painting. They are the only surviving examples of Cluniac monumental painting from the abbey's heyday.

The abbey church of Saint-Philibert celebrates its thousandth anniversary in 2019. It is one of France's greatest Romanesque monuments. Despite its advanced age, the abbey is very well preserved. The village of Leynes depended on this abbey. It is of great value to the people of the region. It's an opportunity to discover Romanesque art preserved in its original state.

bambina's tip:
Stop off in Tournus and explore the town and surrounding area.
Tournus: its abbey, its Hôtel-Dieu, its picturesque lanes, its good restaurants, its museums, its banks of the Saône where you can pedal, stroll...

This church and its monastic buildings date back to the early 16th century. You can visit the church and its three cloisters. Its typical 16th-century Gothic style stands out from the Romanesque style of the region.

Bambina's tip:
In 2014, on the occasion of the Journées du Patrimoine, the Royal Monastery of Brou was voted France's favorite monument.

Surrounded by a wide moat, this château, built in 1606, is recognized as an architectural feat. Don't miss the 21-metre-high empty-cage staircase. It's the oldest and largest staircase in the world to be built using this technique.

bambina's tip:
Covering 10 hectares, the gardens, reconstructed in 1990, offer the different atmospheres of an early 17th-century park: vast flowerbeds, boxwood labyrinth with aviary-belvedere, groves, green theater, vegetable garden and water features.

Fléchères is the largest château open to visitors in the Lyon area. Built between 1606 and 1625 and preserved in its original state, it is an exceptional testimony to the life of Lyon's great notables in the 17th century.

Bambina's tip: the 30-hectare French garden and English park are ideal for strolling under magnificent trees, and offer beautiful views of the château and the Beaujolais mountains.

The jewel of South Burgundy, this imposing fortress overlooking the Lamartinien valley is a must-see in the region. This fortified castle, with its fourteen towers and entrance châtelet, retains a series of medieval rooms and a Carolingian chapel within its three enclosures.

Its terraces are home to several gardens (formal garden, English garden and vegetable garden)

bambina's tip:
This château was used for the filming of Ridley Scott's "The Last Duel", starring Matt Damon and Jodie Comer. You can't miss it!

The Musée d'Art Contemporain la Demeure du Chaos in Lyon, created in 1999 by sculptor and visual artist Thierry Ehrmann, is an open-air museum covering 9,000 m2 and featuring a museum trail unique in the world, open to the public free of charge. Comprising almost 6,300 works of art, including 4,500 raw steel sculptures weighing up to several hundred tonnes..

bambina's tip:
Don't hesitate to take the virtual tour if you don't have the time.

Also known as "Little Venice", it is listed as one of France's "most beautiful detours", with its half-timbered houses, its XVᵉ century Halles (covered market) and its former hospice.
Built in the XVᵉ century, the Halles are listed as a Historic Monument and host a market every Saturday morning for fresh, regional produce and the sale of animals (chickens, ducks, guinea fowl.

bambina's tip

Also listed as a Historic Monument, the buildings of the Hospice de Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne were rebuilt in the early XVIIIᵉ century.

With its train station accessible from the Lyon-Paris axis. This small, dynamic town is a great place to get away from it all, either on the banks of the Saône or in its pedestrian streets.

bambina's advice:

Eglise St Pierre, Musée des Ursulines, Pont de St Laurent, Musée vieux St Vincent, Quai Lamartine...and have a drink at the Maison de Bois, built in 1490 and arguably the oldest house in Mâcon.

"Le tracé de la plume"

This brand-new heritage discovery trail will guide you through the town, along a one- to two-hour loop through architecture, literature, gastronomy and history.

Let the bronze feathers on the ground guide you from one monument to the next. At each point along the way, a totem will give you information about the monument you've come across.

This walk through Mâcon follows a rich itinerary of 28 points of interest, some of which are still little-known, with on-site commentary thanks to explanatory terminals and a free mobile app.

The "Tracé de la Plume" is a tribute to the incomparable pen of Alphonse de Lamartine, and offers you the chance to discover, or rediscover, our sumptuous heritage.

bambina's tip:
Don't hesitate to download the free smartphone application. It's very well designed and will guide you along your walk.

The region is ideal for cycling. Pedal freaks have 2,900 km of cycle paths to choose from.

Bambina's tip:
The region is hilly. I have electric bikes available that can help you get around without too much effort.

"Europe's largest Oenoparc invites you into a world dedicated to vines and wines, spread over 30000 m2 in the heart of Beaujolais, it reveals all the secrets of our vineyards in a fun and original way."

Bambina's tip:
Take the whole family on a guided tour of the "Salle des Pas Perdus", a 1900s railway station with its café-restaurant, and enjoy a complimentary tasting glass at the end of the visit. The wine museum, the little train...Lasts 1/2 day to 1 day and is perfect in rainy weather.

Located just a few kilometers from the estate. 500 kms of tourist trails divided into 8 itineraries take you on a tour of the region's wineries.

Bambina's tip:
Wine is the region's specialty. These tours alone are worth the trip. Take the time to visit at least one. You'll be able to take home a good bottle for your friends.

Known the world over for its wines, Beaujolais has inherited one of the richest and most complex geologies in France - and, in some respects, on Earth!

The diversity of subsoils, landscapes and landforms we know today are the result of the convergence of numerous geological phenomena over more than 500 million years. Imagine that Beaujolais, a green setting near Lyon, contains rocks from a volcanic archipelago, a mountain range, a desert plain and a tropical sea!

bambina's tip:
If you're interested, take a look at the presentation brochure here:

https:// www.geopark-beaujolais.com/document/depliant-beaujolais-unesco-global-geopark-2018.pdf

If the weather is warm, there's nothing like a dip in Lac de Cormoranche sur Saône or Lac de Saint Point.

Numerous water sports are available, and equipment can be rented on site.

Bambina's tip:
Lac de Saint-Point is ideal for swimming and fishing, with activities for all the family and pedal-boat hire.

L'Embarcadère boating center in La Truchère offers half-day to full-day rental of motorboats for 10 to 12 people.

Electric boats with 2 to 11 berths are also available for rental for periods ranging from half an hour to 3 hours.

Bambina's tip:
Special mention for the ice cream sundaes available in the shaded lounge. Perfect for admiring the passing boats on the Seille.

Located in the heart of a shopping town renowned for its gastronomy, the port of Pont de Vaux offers 225 moorings for pleasure boats. This is where the restaurant boat "Ville de Pont de Vaux 2" is moored. Managed by the Pont-de-Vaux tourist office, this boat has a capacity of 80 people for meals and 150 people for cruises, and offers day cruises with meals on board on the Pont-de-Vaux, Saône and Seille canals, as well as cruises through locks. It has a bar, an air-conditioned restaurant and a large sun deck to enjoy the bucolic landscapes and unspoilt flora and fauna of the Saône Valley.

Bambina's tip:
The cruise between Pont-de-Vaux and Jean-de-Saône is well worth the detour. Without necessarily having to eat on the boat.

A friendly club, open to all, for water skiing, wakeboarding, monoskiing and barefoot. Activities in the natural setting of the Saône, less than 10 minutes from downtown Mâcon.

bambina's tip:
Recommended for athletes, less so for beginners. Water skiing requires good physical condition!

There are 7 caves on the Azé site, but only two are open to the public:

The prehistoric cave, which has been occupied alternately for 300,000 years by man and by the great beasts of the Quaternary, cave bears and lions. The underground river, recently explored in 1963, leads back over 400m.

bambina's tip:
To complete your visit to the caves, follow the Bear Trail on the Rochebin massif.

The golf courses at La Commanderie (Golf la Commanderie) and Mâcon La Salle (Golf de Mâcon La Salle) each offer an 18-hole course set in lush greenery, just 20 minutes from Leynes.

bambina's tip:
Golf de la Commanderie has a great restaurant!

Over 700 animals in a 12-hectare park that welcomes over 200,000 visitors a year.

Bambina's tip:
When you visit the Zoo, you can also go tree climbing. Children always have a smile on their face when they return from the park!

First flights are offered on a number of circuits in the region. The Wine Route, the tour of Mâcon or the 2 magnificent rocks (Solutré and Vergisson).

bambina's tip:
The prices of these flights are not very high. Have you ever dreamed of flying in a helicopter?