Three daytrips in Burgundy
Three Day Trips Around Pazy, Clamecy, Vézelay, Corbigny and the Canal du Nivernais
From La Petite Forge, you're close to some of Burgundy's best-kept secrets. Fantastic underground wine cellars, a 12th-century Romanesque pilgrimage basilica listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, world-famous vineyards such as Chablis, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and the lovely Canal du Nivernais.
Below are three complete day trips to build your stay around.
1. Crémant de Bourgogne, bistronomic lunch & the Basilica
of Vézelay
2. Pouilly-Fumé wine, Chavignol cheese & Sancerre
Burgundy is the home of wonderful wines, and there are small domaines that, despite being less well known, make wonderfully refined wines. Start your day at Serge Dagueneau et Filles, it is a family estate in its fourth generation, run by Valérie Dagueneau. With a real attention to terroir and a respectful approach to winemaking, the domaine produces beautiful Pouilly-Fumé wines.
For lunch head down to restaurant Le Chat. This place comes highly recommended! It's a warm and welcoming restaurant where chef Laurent Chareau cooks creatively and seasonally, giving classic French dishes a contemporary twist.
The day starts underground, at Caves Bailly Lapierre. Here, Crémant de Bourgogne has been ageing since 1972 in a former limestone quarry some 50 metres below ground. It's a real experience to walk through and hear the history of this quarry: the stone it once supplied went into many of Paris's iconic monuments, it was later used as a mushroom farm, and it was eventually transformed into a cellar for Burgundy's bubbles.
For lunch, it's a short drive to Irancy, one of Burgundy's most beautiful red-wine villages. Le Soufflot is a bistronomic restaurant where the food is wonderful. Chef Romain Favre serves flavourful, generous cooking that mixes classic Burgundian dishes with modern bistro fare — seasonal, and built around local produce. The wine list is extensive, running to some 200 references. The restaurant (and the street it sits on) is named after Jacques-Germain Soufflot, the neoclassical architect born in Irancy. Soufflot designed the Panthéon in Paris — the very building for which limestone from the Bailly Lapierre quarry was used.
After lunch, drive on to Vézelay, a beautiful route through the Burgundy countryside. Vézelay is best known for the Romanesque Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, which crowns the "eternal hill." For centuries, this 12th-century basilica was a major waypoint on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, and it still draws visitors from all over the world today.
Thanks to its location amid the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé vineyards, the restaurant also offers a lovely selection of regional wines. The relaxed atmosphere, personal cooking style, and attention to local winemakers make Le Chat a great spot for lovers of French gastronomy.
After lunch, it's worth driving on to Chavignol, a picturesque village that lent its name to one of France's best-known goat cheeses. Cheese affineur Romain Dubois has been maturing Crottin de Chavignol here for five generations. In his shop you can taste cheeses ranging from soft and creamy to firm and full-flavoured. On the way back to Pazy, don't skip a walk and an apéro in Sancerre. Sancerre is a beautiful medieval hilltop town surrounded by vineyards, with sweeping views over the Loire valley. There's a lovely range of small shops, and the many little wine bars are perfect for one last glass before heading home.
3. Boat Trip on the Canal du Nivernais
The Lac de Baye et Vaux lies just a few kilometres from the gîte, and at the small port of Baye you can rent an electric day-boat (no licence needed) to enjoy the Canal du Nivernais and its many locks at a leisurely pace. The harbour staff help you through the first lock, and from there you cruise downstream through the Bazolles locks toward Chavances. You can bring a picnic on board, or moor at Chavances by the lock-keeper's cottage and enjoy a simple lunch of French classics like quiche and croque-monsieur on the sunny terrace. Being right by the lock, there's always something to watch here.
Once you're back at the port, you can also explore the Collancelle vaults: three connected canal tunnels carved through the surrounding hills. Quite an experience to cruise through.
After the boat trip, you can take a swim at the small beach next to the sailing club, or stretch your legs with a walk around the lake. Restaurant La Marine is a lovely way to end the day, it's a great spot for drinks and dinner.
