The must-haves

In Chalon sur Saône, history can be read on every street corner…

To learn about history without knowing it, there’s nothing better than a fun tour. If you want to learn something new and get some fresh air, follow the “Chemin de l’Orbandale”, a walking tour that takes you to some 30 architectural and historical points of interest in the city center. Audioguides are available for hire from the Tourist Office, enabling you to enjoy the tour with commentary.

Architecturally, Chalon is a feast for the eyes! The city center is brimming with half-timbered houses, towers and turrets, 16th-century fortifications and bastions and, of course, the magnificent Saint-Vincent cathedral.

Saint-Vincent Cathedral

Religious building in Chalon-Sur-Saone

Saint-Vincent Cathedral, seat of the former diocese of Chalon-sur-Saône, comprises the former bishop’s palace, cathedral, cloister and canons’ houses. Built in Romanesque style from 1090 onwards, the cathedral today features a Gothic elevation and a “neo-Gothic” façade. Its simple plan features three naves, a chevet with no ambulatory, and side chapels. Come and discover its ensemble of Romanesque capitals, its 1510 Brussels tapestry and a 16th-century stained-glass window. A tactile model is available for the visually impaired.

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©Chalon Sur Saone Orbandale Cathedral Church Heritage 2020 Rozenn Krebel 57|ROZENN KREBEL

Cloitre des Chanoines

Saint-Vincent Cathedral

Today, the cloister of Saint-Vincent Cathedral is the only surviving canonical cloister in Burgundy and Franche-Comté. Its perimeter walls have been dated to around the year 1000, making it even more exceptional. Three wings with three-lobed arched bays date from the 14th century and were rib-vaulted in the 15th century. The north wing is a contemporary reconstruction of a gallery that disappeared in the 19th century. In the spirit of existing medieval and 19th-century capitals, it is adorned with sculptures on capitals in Saint-Marc stone (Burgundy limestone) by sculptor Laetitia de Bazelaire, evoking animals, virtues and the 5 senses.

Accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Heritage Area

Museum in Chalon-Sur-Saone

Come and discover Chalon-sur-Saône, Ville d’Art et d’Histoire, thanks to :
– the permanent exhibition at the Espace Patrimoine, a unique space that reveals the urban evolution of the city since the ancient Roman Cabilonnum ;
– temporary exhibitions focusing on a particular aspect of heritage or architecture;
– guide-lecturers who will take you on general or themed tours of places that are sometimes little-known or closed to the public.
In this thousand-faceted city, you’ll find every style and every era in harmony.

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©Nicephore Niepce statue Chalon Sur Saone Jm 2

Nicéphore Niépce Museum

Museum in Chalon-Sur-Saone

Chalon-sur-Saône is the birthplace of Nicéphore Niépce (1765 – 1833), inventor of photography in 1816. Come and discover this unique collection on the origins of the photographic image. In keeping with Niépce’s legacy, the museum deals with the various fields of “photography”, and invites you to take part in a constantly renewed tour combining objects, original images and new technologies.
A regular feature: temporary exhibitions of old and contemporary photographs.

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Denon Museum

Museum in Chalons-Sur-Saone

The Musée Denon, named after the first director of today’s Musée du Louvre, a native of Chalon-sur-Saône, has been collecting evidence of local and European cultures from the outset. Its collection comprises over 25,000 archaeological objects, 11,000 sculptures, graphic works and ethnographic objects, spanning 100,000 years of history. It is the fruit of individual adventures, of the passion and generosity of men both illustrious and more modest. An expression of creativity, these works of art cannot be reduced to a single artistic movement or art form. Bearers of history, personal experience, feelings and knowledge, or simply linked to a specific use, these museum objects were created one day by a man for other men.

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©Chalon Sur Saone Musee Denon Famille 2020 Rozenn Krebel 78|ROZENN KREBEL

Maison Niepce

Museum in Chalon-Sur-Saone

Museum-House dedicated to the invention of photography and the internal combustion engine by Nicéphore Niépce:

– recognized as a “Maison des Illustres” by the French Ministry of Culture in 2013, with the sponsorship of the Académie des Sciences and the Académie des Beaux-Arts,
– entirely financed by Spéos, the International School of Photography – Paris & London.

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Discover the vineyards

Bucolic as can be, the Côte Chalonnaise is bordered by the Grands Vins de Bourgogne tourist route, in the natural extension of the Grands Crus, south of Beaune. At the heart of a landscape punctuated by hills, its vineyards are planted on southeast-facing slopes stretching 25 km long and 7 km wide.

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©House Niepce Saint Loup De Varennes 8|jerome MARCHE

Museums

Chalon, Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (City of Art and History), offers a wide range of sites to visit, retracing the history of both the past and the present....

©Rully Chateau Vignes June 2016 25|jerome MARCHE

Castles and heritage

Fans of old stones and heritage will also find plenty to satisfy their thirst for discovery in Grand Chalon: from churches (Romanesque, Gothic, neo-classical) to medieval...

Cellar tours and tastings

The Côte Chalonnaise, renowned for its picturesque vineyards, is a veritable paradise for wine lovers. Cellar tours offer an immersion in the age-old art of viticulture. From...

Sightseeing and culture

Grand Chalon’s exceptional heritage allows you to stroll through the historic districts around the cathedral, discover the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and the Place...