17 October 2008

Chalon-sur-SaÃƒ~´ne and Beaune Ã¢â¬' ah les vins rouge right on your doorstep!

If there was anywhere a wine lover should go then it is here to Chalon sur Saone and Beaune in the heart of FranceÃ¢â¬â¢s wine growing area, the CÃƒ~´te Chalonnaise, which lies between the CÃƒ~´te de Nuits and CÃƒ~´te de Beaune in the north and the Maconnais in the south. And what better way to get there than on a Uniworld river cruise!

To discover these charming historic towns with TravelMole TV click here now:

http://www.travelmole.tv/watch_vdo.php?sid=75&id=14608

[Pictured: Beaune market- and you thought garlic was just garlic, but there are heaps of different types!]

Famous French wines such as Mercury, Givry, Montagny and Rully all come from here. And there are heaps of places in Beaune and Chalon where you can try the fantastic wine produce of the region, so different form the new world wines of Australia

Chalon is a busy little town on the banks of the River Saone with a fantastic market three times a week at the Place St-Vincent and a stunning cathedral square with a very lively cafÃƒ~© society with Le Moulin Ãƒ~ Cafe and speciality shops such as LÃƒ~©gendes Gourmandes.

There are fine half-timbered houses overlooking the Place, with Rue de ChÃƒ~¢telet and Grande Rue worth visiting also to see 17th and 14th century facades.

The cathedral itself [pictured right] is also a great example of Romanesque architecture.

Now, if you are interested in photography, Joseph NicÃƒ~©phore-NiÃƒ~©pce the inventor of photography was born in Chalon in 1765 and there is a museum dedicated to him housed in the HÃƒ~´tel des Messageries on the banks of the Saone.

Apart from cameras, it has a really good photographic collection tracing the history of photography.

Nearby is stunning Beaune located in the middle of the CÃƒ~´te dÃ¢â¬â¢Or, with Beaune the capital of the wine region.

The town has a really medieval and regal feel about it and is really famous for its HÃƒ~´tel Dieu, the Hospices de Beaune, with its inner courtyard and colourful tiled roof. [Pictured: These beds in the hospice would have been occupied by more than one person!]

The town is full of cobbled streets with boutiques of every kind to choose from with delicious food shops and markets, including you can buy homemade jam from the Palais des Gourmets on Place Carnot and meat delicacies from the charcuteries and tempting pastries and cakes from the patisseries.

There are heaps of places for a taste of the local wines and for wine books and accessories you should visit LÃ¢â¬â¢Athenaeum de la Vigne et du Vin in Rue de lÃ¢â¬â¢HÃƒ~´tel du Vin and Le Comptoir Viticole in Rue Samuel-Legay.

The hottest location for wine tasting though is the MarchÃƒ~© aux Vins opposite the Hospice, with the dÃƒ~©gustation des vins taking place in an ancient church, with stone pillars and arches top lean on!

[Pictured: one of the many wine tasting locations in Beaune.]

And as if that was enough, Beaune is famous for its Baroque Music Festival every weekend throughout July, the Festival, 'Cours, Eau, Jardins' throughout the summer, the Jazz Festival in September, the classic and world renowned, Hospice de Beaune Wine Auction in November and the colourful Festival of Saint-Vincent, the patron saint of wine each January.

Hic....I think I can feel another snooze coming on...back to the River Royale!

A Report on location from Europe by The Mole