Entranced by Lovely River Views Charming Chalon-sur-Saone Did Not Disappoint

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Chalon-sur-Saône (Chalon on the Saône) is a located on the River Saône in the southern Burgundy Region.  This area of the wine region is famous for wines such as Givry, Mercurey, Montagny and our favorite, Rully.

I arrived in Chalon-sur-Saône jet lagged and hungry as the breakfast croissant I purchased in Paris slipped from my hands as I boarded the train. And, although, the train journey from Paris via Dijon and Beaune was a pleasant one, I was just not up to walking the 5 blocks to my hotel on an empty stomach. I still can’t believe I paid a taxi to take me that minute distance.

Saône River

My hotel, Hotel Saint Jean, and my room faced the Saône River which made up for the rough start to the day. The view was beautiful and the air wafting through the ceiling to floor windows was wonderfully cool even in July.

View of the Saône

It did not take long for those views to re-energize me .

Soon,  I headed into town for some of the sights I had on my list and lunch. I arrived in the square just as the market was winding down so I found a great outdoor table at one of the cafés and did a bit of people watching while waiting for my salad.

Foie gras salad

Place St VIncent

Chalon-sur-Saône is a great town for navigating on foot and I loved the time I had to just wander the shops, markets and churches. As it was July, the July sales were in full swing so I had many great buys to choose from. Of course, I do not think chocolate is ever on sale but that did not keep me from both window shopping and ultimately buying.

Chocolate candy

Chalon-sur-Saône Markets

I am a real market addict when I travel. As you can see from this list, this town is a market lover’s dream. All markets take place between 8am and noon unless otherwise noted. I was able to pick up some nice non-perishable items for my suppers, which I ate by the river, and save my euros for tasty lunches.

• Tuesday – mixed market located at Les Aubépins
• Wednesday – food market located at Place de l’Hôtel and amixed market located at Place du marché of the Prés Saint Jean between 8am and noon
• Thursday – mixed market located at Cité du Stade
• Friday – textiles and haberdashery market
• located at Place de Beaune et Place du Général de Gaulle between 8am and 6pm and a food market at Place Saint Vincent
• Saturday – food marketlocated at Boucicaut Colombière Parking du Gymnase, avenue Boucicaut
• Sunday – food market Place Saint Vincent – 8 am – 12.30 pm

Checking out the markets was a great way to familiarize myself with the variety of shops. La Grande Rue , which connects with Pont Saint Laurent, is a wonderful shopping street. You will also discover more shops as you seek out these must see historic sites.

Saint-Vincent Square in Chalon-sur-Saône

Here you will find a group of 15th and 18th century half-timbered houses along with a contemporary fountain. I had my first lunch her in Saint-Vincent Square. Getting to watch the comings and goings of the Friday market was a pleasant way to pass the time.

St-Vincent Square (Place St-Vincent)

Chalon Half-timbered houses

Rue St-Vincent

Head to the corner of rue du Pont and rue du Chatelet. Here you will find the wooden replica of a statue of Christ by Michelangelo. Place Saint Vincent, where Saint Vincent Cathedral is located, is my favorite location in town. I love the café culture found here and there is a wonderful little tea shop. Le Moulin A Café, on the corner of the square just across from the cathedral. There is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture since construction of St-Vincent extended over a period of time, beginning in 1090.

Saint Vincent Cathedral

Rue du Châtelet

After viewing the Christ statue, proceed on to number 57, the 1657 House of the Four Seasons. Each of the four seasons and allegorical figures are pictured on the front.

Place de l’Hôtel de Ville

Hôtel de Ville Belfry

Besides Saint Vincent Cathedral, my favorite building in Chalon- sur-Saône is adjacent to the very unremarkable Hôtel de Ville. The Hôtel de Ville is so unremarkable that I cropped it out of the photo. This was to place the emphasis on the belfry which is really quite lovely!

Église Saint-Pierre is a fascinating building and it too has a beautiful clock tower.

If you are in Chalon during the third week of July you will not want to miss the Chalon dans la Rue Festival (Chalon in the Street) , a transnational street festival which is supposed to be France’s version of the Edinburgh Festival. I was there the first week in July so I missed this!

Mon histoire de Chalon-sur-Saône (en bref) en français…

Je suis arrivée à Chalon-sur-Saône en plein décalage horaire et affamée. Le croissant que j’ai acheté pour le petit déjeuner a glissé de ma main en montant dans le train. Bien que le voyage entre Paris et Chalon était plaisant, je ne voulais pas traverser cette intersection à pied entre la gare et l’hôtel avec seulement ma faim pour m’accompagner. Maintenant, je trouve amusant que j’ai payé un taxi pour m’amener à cette minuscule distance.

L’Hôtel Saint-Jean est sur les berges du fleuve avec des vues incroyables. Tout de suite, j’étais pleine d’énergie et prête à l’explorer. J’ai trouvé un bel endroit sur la terrasse d’un café au pied de la cathédrale où j’ai pu observer les derniers instants du marché.

Chalon-sur-Saône est une très belle ville pour se promener et je me suis amusée à faire du lèche-vitrines où j’ai trouvé les soldes de juillet. Il y a un marché d’une sorte ou d’une autre dans plusieurs locaux tous les jours, sauf le lundi. Que de chance ! J’adore explorer les marchés de France !

La place Saint-Vincent

Avec ses nombreuses maisons à colombages et la cathédrale Saint-Vincent, la place Saint-Vincent me plaît. La cathédrale a un mélange de styles architecturaux car la construction a commencé en 1090 dans le style roman et a continué jusqu’au 19e siècle. Sa façade reflète des styles gothiques et néogothiques. En me promenant entre l’hôtel et la place Saint-Vincent, j’ai noté une statue en bois au coin de l’immeuble dans le carrefour des rues du Pont et du Châtelet. Ne la manquez pas ! C’est une réplique de la statue du Christ de Michelangelo.

Mon édifice préféré ici est la cathédrale, mais le beffroi de la mairie est très beau aussi ! En outre, l’église Saint-Pierre est un édifice que j’ai trouvé fascinant avec sa belle horloge.

Cette première visite, je suis arrivée trop tôt en juillet pour profiter de la fête « Chalon dans la rue », une fête de tous types de spectacles « riches et foisonnantes » . Mais maintenant j’ai une bonne raison d’y retourner ! Nous devrions toujours être heureux quand il reste quelque chose à voir à la fin d’une visite. Pourquoi?  Parce qu’elle nous donne une bonne raison de revenir.

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