The Burgundy Canal (or Canal de Bourgogne) is known as one of the most beautiful canals in the world. There are many reasons for this reputation. Picture meandering slowly on a boat through lush farmland, through acres of sunflowers, stopping at ancient stone villages to visit a chateau or two, eating delicious seasonal food and drinking local wine (Burgundy wine, of course). It surely is heaven on earth. Ivan and I spent five weeks exploring the 240km of this famous canal and absolutely loved it. In this blog (Part 1) we take you from Migennes down to the town of Montbard and then Part 2 will be the rest of the canal through to St-Jean-de-Losne.
An inauspicious start
We started our voyage on the Burgundy Canal in Migennes. It’s here that we farewelled our Australian friends Rob and Kate who came to visit for a few days. Migennes is a nice little town with a good sized port but the port has one problem. The railway line is right next to it. So we spent a rather sleepless night listening to trains and we could even hear the platform announcements. Oh well! What the port lacked in peacefulness it more than compensated in swans and adorable cygnets. And there was an excellent boulangerie for a baguette the next morning.
St Florentin
Next stop was a cute little town called St Florentin. It had a very nice port that was very quiet. We visited the tourist office where we were given a key to the ancient church so we could visit on our own. The church was beautiful and was built in the 1400’s. There were lots of other beautiful buildings and houses in the town and we spent a few days exploring the region on our bikes.
Tonnerre
The next major port was Tonnerre where we spent a few days and picked up some more visitors – my Mum and her twin Aunty Beany. Tonnerre has a famous natural spring called the Fosse Dionne that bubbles up in the middle of town. It was turned into a wash house in the 1750’s when cleanliness became a thing. It is definitely worth a visit, especially in summer as the water is icy cold.
Tonnerre has a number of restaurants and lovely old churches as well as a hospice, the Hotel Dieu de Tonnerre. It was built in 1293 by a wealthy countess who offered free medical aid to poor people. The building and grounds are just stunning.
Staying cool in Tonnerre
What do you do when the temperature soars in France during summer? Have a nap under a tree or jump in the nearest river. When we were in Tonnerre the temperature was 33 degrees so we walked down to the Armançon River which runs right through the centre of town. The water was freezing but lovely once you got used to it. And no crocodiles or sharks or any bitey things!
Tanlay
We really enjoyed visiting the little town of Tanlay and its magnificent chateau complete with a moat (you gotta love a moat). The mooring was very quiet and offered free electricity and water. Bonus!
When we were in Tanlay we tuned in to watch Ariane Titmus win the 400m freestyle against Katie Ledecky (USA) and Summer McIntosh (Canada) in the Olympics. Well done Ariane you legend! It was fantastic to be in France during the Olympics – it felt like the event united the whole country.
Ancy-le-Franc
Another cute place on the Burgundy Canal is the little village called Ancy-le-Franc. It has one of the most magnificent chateau we have ever been in (and we’ve seen a few, let me tell you) and a great little restaurant right on the canal called La Botica. There were chickens wandering around the restaurant as well as a friendly British Bulldog called Simone who liked a pat and liked food even more.
The Chateau of Ancy-le-Franc
Ravieres
We said goodbye to Mum and Aunty Beany in a town called Ravieres where they caught the train to Paris. It was sad to see them go because we love their company and they are so much fun. And Mum had been a dab hand at coiling ropes. But as we walked to the train station, we passed a beautiful sunflower field and I couldn’t resist taking a photo of these two beautiful women with the flowers. Aaahhh my heart.
Montbard
After Ravieres we voyaged to Montbard which was another great little town. It had an ancient village centre complete with restaurants, winding cobblestoned streets and a chateau (I told you there were lots on the Burgundy).
But one of the best things about Montbard was catching up with our mate Steve the Pommie who we met last year on the canals. He is a great guy and we enjoy his company. We also loved meeting up with Anita from the USA who we met at our winter port in Roanne and her guest Hayley. We certainly had good times aplenty on the Burgundy Canal.
We love the Burgundy Canal
So as you can see, there’s a lot to love about travelling by boat along the Burgundy Canal. In the next post we’ll continue putting along in Laura through to the end of the canal in Saint-Jean-de-Losne. But before I go, here’s a video of what it’s like cruising along next to a field of sunflowers. I told you it was heaven!
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