Les activités de la région
Southern Burgundy is one of the most beautiful regions of France.
You may have passed through it on your way to the French Riviera, or stayed there to visit the Burgundy vineyards and the Beaujolais (classified by Unesco).
Discover our bed and breakfast in Leynes and let yourself be guided through the hidden treasures of this region known for its wine and particularly well preserved Roman art.
Le village de Leynes
Leynes is a small village typical of the region. Located in the South of Mâconnais, you can visit its Romanesque church, relax on the village square while playing petanque or visit the restaurants and taste the local wines. Don't miss the opening of the village cellar which opens every Sunday afternoon in season.
Discover below the sites not to be missed during your stay in Leynes.
Listed as Cultural Heritage :
L'abbaye de Cluny :
Founded in 910 by the Duke of Aquitaine and the Count of Auvergne William 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 historical monument and the old 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 the largest engineering schools in France.
It continues to reveal its treasures, in 2017 was discovered silver denarii and Arab-Muslim dinars in gold dating from the twelfth century. Maybe you too can make a surprising discovery.
Bambina's tip : The new circuit opened in 2020 brings new features. Archival images, watercolors, plans, reconstructions or photographs of invisible details illustrate the texts. The "Did you see?" and "Did you know? "bubbles allow young visitors to enjoy a visit adapted to their needs.
Le Haras National de Cluny
The stud farm of Cluny is a French national stud farm. It is located in the town of Cluny. Its construction took place between 1814 and 1880 under the impulse of Napoleon I. It is built on the foundations of the old abbey of Cluny with materials from its demolition after the French Revolution. It is a place full of history that keeps an important collection of horse-drawn vehicles.
During the summer, many events are organized at the stud farm. For example the "Thursdays of Cluny". They take place over an afternoon and feature a presentation of the stallions with music. You can also see numbers of equestrian artists, visit the stables and discover the jobs that make up the team of this exceptional stud.
This is a rare visit that will leave you with lasting memories, whether you are a fan of beautiful stallions or not.
Bambina's tip : Take advantage of the school vacations to pass your Galops!
La Chapelle aux Moines à Berzé-la-Ville
Romanesque art is highlighted by the frescoes of this chapel, which is over 900 years old. They are considered as one of the most beautiful testimonies of this millenary art.
Bambina's tip : The paintings in the monks' chapel in Berzé-la-Ville are a masterpiece of 12th century mural painting. They are the only witnesses of monumental Cluniac painting at the time of the apogee of the abbey.
L'abbaye de Tournus
The abbey church Saint-Philibert celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 2019. It is one of the greatest French Romanesque monuments. Despite its advanced age, this abbey is very well preserved. It is from this abbey that the village of Leynes depended. It has a great value for the people of the region. It is an opportunity to discover the Romanesque art preserved in its original state.
Bambina's tip : Stop in Tournus and explore the city and its surroundings. Tournus : its abbey, its hotel-dieu, its picturesque streets, its good restaurants, its museums, its banks of the Saône where you can pedal, walk, ....
Monastère royal de Brou à Bourg-en-Bresse
This church and its monastic buildings date back to the beginning of the 16th century. You can visit the church and the three cloisters that accompany it. Its gothic style is typical of the 16th century and differs from the Romanesque style of the region.
Bambina's tip : In 2014, on the occasion of the Heritage Days, the Royal Monastery of Brou was elected Favorite Monument of the French.
Château de Cormatin
Entouré par de larges douves, ce château construit à partir de 1606 est reconnu comme une prouesse architecturale. Ne passez pas à côté de l'escalier à cage vide de 21 mètres de haut. Au monde, c'est le plus ancien et le plus vaste à être construit avec cette technique.
Bambina's tip : On 10 hectares, the gardens reconstituted since 1990 offer the various atmospheres of a park of the beginning of the XVIIth century: vast flowerbed, boxwood labyrinth with aviary -belvedere, copses, green theater, vegetable garden and water parts.
Le Château de Fléchères à Fareins
Fléchères is the largest castle open to visitors in the vicinity of Lyon. It was built in one go from 1606 to 1625 and has been preserved intact. It offers an exceptional testimony to the life of the great notables of Lyon in the 17th century.
Bambina's tip : On 30 hectares, the French garden and the English park are conducive to walking under magnificent trees and offer beautiful views of the castle and the mountains of Beaujolais.
Forteresse de Berzé-le-Chatel
Jewel of South Burgundy, this imposing fortress dominating the Lamartinian valley is the place to be in the region. This fortress with its fourteen towers and its entrance châtelet preserves in its three enclosures a set of medieval rooms and a Carolingian chapel.
Its terraces are home to several gardens (French garden, English garden and vegetable garden).
Bambina's tip : This castle was used for the shooting of Ridley Scott's movie "The Last Duel" with Matt Damon and Jodie Comer. Film lovers, you can't miss it.
La Demeure du Chaos
The Musée d'Art Contemporain la Demeure du Chaos located in Lyon, created in 1999 by sculptor Thierry Ehrmann, is an open-air museum that covers 9,000 m2 and is materialized by a unique museum tour open to the public free of charge. It is composed of nearly 6,300 works of art, mainly 4,500 sculptures in raw steel that can weigh up to several hundred tons...
Bambina's tip : Don't hesitate to take the virtual tour if you don't have time to visit.
Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne
Also called "the little Venice", it is classified among the "most beautiful detours of France" with its half-timbered houses its halles of the XVᵉ century, its old hospice.
Built in the XVᵉ century, the Halles are classified as a historical monument and host, every Saturday morning, the fresh produce and animal market.
Bambina's tip : Also listed as historical monuments, the buildings of the hospice of Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne were rebuilt in the early XVIIIᵉ century.
Mâcon
With its train station accessible from the Lyon-Paris axis. This small city is dynamic and allows a getaway on the banks of the Saône or inside its pedestrian streets.
The Natural and Viticultural Heritage
Le tracé de la plume
This brand new heritage discovery tour will guide you through the city, along a one to two hour loop, between architecture, literature, gastronomy and history.
Let the bronze feathers on the ground guide you from one monument to another. At each point of the tour, a totem will inform you about the monument you have encountered.
This walk in Mâcon follows a rich itinerary of 28 points of interest, some of them still unknown, commented on the spot thanks to the explanatory terminals and a free mobile application.
The "Tracé de la Plume" is a tribute to the incomparable pen of Alphonse de Lamartine, and will provide you with some very nice discoveries, or rediscoveries, of our sumptuous heritage.
Bambina's tip : Don't hesitate to download the free smartphone application. It is very well done and guides you throughout your walk.
Bike rides
The region is ideal for cycling. There are 2,900 km of bicycle paths for cycling enthusiasts.
Bambina's tip : The area is hilly. I have electric bikes available that can help you get around without too much effort.
Burgundy and Beaujolais wines
Located a few kilometers from the property. 500 km of tourist circuits divided into 8 itineraries allow you to visit the vineyards of the region.
Bambina's tip : Wine is the specialty of the region. These visits alone are worth the trip to the region. Take the time to visit at least one. You can bring back a good bottle for your friends.
Le Beaujolais, Géopark mondial de l’Unesco
Known throughout the world for its wines, the Beaujolais region has inherited one of the richest and most complex geologies in France and, in some respects, on Earth!
The diversity of the subsoils, the landscapes and the reliefs that we know today were born from the convergence of numerous geological phenomena, during more than 500 million years. Imagine that Beaujolais, a green setting near Lyon, concentrates rocks coming from a volcanic archipelago, a mountainous massif, a desert plain or a tropical sea!
Bambina's tip : If you are interested, see the presentation brochure here: https://www.geopark-beaujolais.com/document/depliant-beaujolais-unesco-global-geopark-2018.pdf
Refresh with water activities
Swimming and fishing at the lake
If the weather is warm, nothing beats a little swim in the Lake of Cormoranche or the Lake of Saint Pont. Many water activities are possible and you can rent the equipment on the spot.
Bambina's tip : The lake of Saint-Point is one of the largest natural lakes in France. Children love it !
Boat rental without license
The nautical base L'Embarcadère in La Truchère proposes the rental of motor boats without a license for half a day to a day with 10 to 12 places.
Electric boats without a license for 2 to 11 people are also available for rent for a duration of half an hour to 3 hours.
Bambina's tip : Special mention to the ice cream sundaes offered in the shaded lounge. A great place to admire the boats sailing on the Seille.
Boat cruises on the Saône
Located in the heart of a commercial city renowned for its gastronomy, the port of Pont de Vaux offers 225 moorings for pleasure boats. The restaurant boat "Ville de Pont de Vaux 2" is moored there. Managed by the tourist office of Pont-de-Vaux, this boat has a capacity of 80 people in restoration and 150 people in walk, proposes cruises in the day with meal on board on the canal of Pont-de-Vaux, the Saône and the Seille and strolls with passage of locks. It has a bar, an air-conditioned restaurant and a large sun deck to enjoy the bucolic landscapes and the preserved fauna and flora of the Saône Valley.
Bambina's tip : The cruise between Pont-de-Vaux and Jean-de-Saône is really worth it. Without having to eat on the boat.
Water skiing
A friendly club, open to all for the practice of water skiing and wakeboarding, mono-skiing or barefoot. Activity in the natural setting of the Saône river located less than 10 minutes from downtown Maçon.
Bambina's tip : Recommended for sportsmen, less for beginners. Water skiing requires a good physical condition!
For a relaxed afternoon
The prehistoric caves of Azé
There are seven caves on the site of the Azé caves but only two are accessible to the public:
The prehistoric cave which has been occupied alternately for 300,000 years by men and by the great beasts of the quaternary, bears and cave lions. Then the underground river, by a recent exploration, in 1963, allows to go up on more than 400m.
Bambina's tip : To complete your visit to the caves, follow the bear trail on the Rochebin massif.
Golf
The golf courses of La Commanderie (Golf la commanderie) and Mâcon La Salle (Golf de Mâcon La Salle) each offer an 18-hole course in green spaces, about 20 minutes from Leynes.
Bambina's tip : The Golf de la Commanderie has a very good restaurant!
A day at the Zoo
More than 700 animals in a 12-hectare park that welcomes more than 200,000 visitors per year.
Bambina's tip : While visiting the Zoo you can also do acrobranche. Children always have a smile on their face when they come back from the Park!
A helicopter ride
Baptisms of the air are proposed on circuits of the region. The Wine Route, the tour of Maçon or the 2 rocks.
Bambina's tip : The prices of the first flights are not very high. Have you ever dreamed of flying in a helicopter?