Discover Mâcon, One Of The Best Day Trips In Burgundy

Domaine de Cromey, the home of Elden Selections in Burgundy, is the perfect base for your vacation of a lifetime in Burgundy — not simply because of its charm and history, but for its location amongst some of the most fascinating attractions in all of France. It is the ideal location for initiating day trips in Burgundy. In this article, part of a series looking at the world-class sights to be seen around Domaine de Cromey, we profile the city of Mâcon, the centre of the Mâconnais wine region, and the home of some of the best and most price-friendly wines that Burgundy Wine.com have to offer.

Why should Mâcon be on your Burgundy Day Trips list? 

No other region of Burgundy has seen such intense interest and investment over the past generation as the Mâconnais. Mâcon was an important river port during the Gallo-Roman period, and today still has an impressive marina covering some 15 hectares where you can see yachts and other small boats. It is also a city which has its own Hotel Dieu, just like Beaune – and the one in Mâcon contains a fascinating apothecary. 

The gastronomy to be found within the city has to be seen to be believed. Snails are a delicacy here, as they are in most parts of Burgundy, but there are also unique specialities from the river here, such as carp, pike and trout. Bresse chickens make frequent appearances on local menus, (incidentally the only chicken in the world with its own AOC – Appellation D’Origin Controllee), as does Charolais beef and a variety of superb local cheeses. For those with a sweet tooth, the Bouchons Mâconnais (chocolate with Marc de Bourgogne liqueur) is a certain hit, as is the unique meringue cake with buttercream that the city is famous for. 

It’s a city that can entertain all year round, but if you are looking to take in a festival then the Été Frappé art and music festival is held from June to August and coincides with a mini jazz festival at the Crescent Jazz Club. A visit to the Mâcon may be one of the best day trips in burgundy.

Sites to consider on your Mâcon day trip from Domaine de Cromey:

• The Cathedral of Saint-Vincent: in Mâcon you get not one but two cathedrals. Although not much of the original structure remains, this cathedral with its octagonal towers is a fascinating reminder of local history. A new cathedral of the same name was also built in the 19th century in neoclassical style. 

• The ancient town of Cluny and its famous abbey: a half-hour drive northwest of Mâcon will take you to the abbey town of Cluny, whose abbey was the largest and most influential in all of Europe for several hundred years. There are also some excellent restaurants in the locale.

• The rocks of Solutré and Vergisson – the nearby town of Solutré-Pouilly gives its name to some of the finest Mâcon wines (see below). The rock of Solutré gives spectacular views even as far as the Alps on a good day, though the rock of Vergisson is an easier ascent if you want to take it steadier. The name Vergisson, of course, is also associated some very fine white wines. The rocky outcrops on the skyline, emblematic of the local vineyards, remind us that 20,000 years ago, one of the most fully evolved prehistoric cultures flourished here.

• Mâcon tourism website and guided tours of the city – take in the views at the marina, or cycle along the towpaths by the river. The Mâcon Tourist Information Office also makes helpful recommendations for those wishing to plan their Mâcon day trip around Burgundy vineyard tours.

Mâcon Wines for the Thirsty Traveller

An impressively beautiful region, it is well worth a visit for any wine enthusiast. This is definitely white-wine country; some red Gamay grapes are grown here (not wiped out completely by the Dukes in the Middle Ages, as the Duchy didn’t own the Mâconnais region) but they are in the minority.

For many, the Mâconnais is a well-kept secret – not too touristy or prohibitively expensive, but populated by smaller, high-quality vignerons who make very distinctive white wines. Quality is rising as fast as renown here, thanks in large part to producers in Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran, and Mâcon day trips are growing in popularity rapidly. The Mâconnais is on the move and will be an expanding source of reasonably priced Burgundy for the foreseeable future.

Domaine du Chateau de Vergisson – finest Mâcon wines from Elden Selections

If a Mâcon day trip is not an option in the near future, enjoying Mâconnais wines is the next best thing. There’s no better guide to the wines of this area than the bottles produced by Domaine du Chateau de Vergisson. Having taken over their family vineyards, owners Stephanie Saumaize and Pierre Laroche created the Domaine du Chateau de Vergisson in 2012, and were soon turning heads in Pouilly-Fuissé and the Mâconnais. The young couple are from two different families of grape farmers, Stephanie from Solutré and Pierre from Vergisson. Imagine sampling these three wines in the comfort of the Domaine de Cromey tasting room, with a suitably scrumptious gastronomic delight from our kitchens to accompany:

• Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Sur la Roche’ - These vines, almost 100 years old, were planted by Pierre’s great-grandfather; elegance, tension, freshness, notes of oysters and the sea, iodine. And of course, the minerality carries the finish on forever.

• Saint-Véran ‘La Cote Rôtie’ - The vineyard is situated at the base of the Vergisson rock, so there’s no lack of limestone, which brings with it finesse and subtlety in the nose, and a rich, lemony, mouth-watering saline fruit, which is carried on and on to an elegant finish.

• Château de Vergisson Pouilly-Fuissé - This is classic Pouilly-Fuisse. Pure gold, with lemon-drop fruit, a touch of tannin to give it structure, and lovely acidity.  So round and balanced you want to chew it.  

Mâcon is just one nearby attraction you’ll find in the area around Domaine de Cromey, but there are a host of other Burgundy day trips starting from our front door that you’ll love to discover. How about Autun? Or the capital of this region, Beaune? And we’re not simply talking about car trips here – you could choose to cycle around the local area to some of the nearby sights, or get a birds-eye view from a hot air balloon – all of which we sort out for you using our local connections to guides and hire companies. You don’t have to worry about anything – other than savouring every moment of your day trip in Burgundy.

We’ll be profiling more towns, villages and events to discover in the coming weeks, but in the meantime why not Book your Burgundy getaway now? We can’t wait to meet you here at Domaine de Cromey!

Discover more by going to our blog where you can read about another local place to visit from Cromey – the Clos de Vougeot, or you could explore the wines of the Bare Mountain of Montrachet. You can also join our fabulous Burgundy Wine Club by following this link.