SUNDAY: Ancy-le-Franc

Your chauffeur collects you from your Paris hotel at 2.00pm for the drive to the "Savoir Faire", moored at Ancy-le-Franc on the Burgundy Canal. Your host and Captain, Chris, welcomes you aboard with a Champagne Reception and an introduction to your crew and ship. Before dinner, your tour guide is at hand to introduce you to the local area and tell you about the cruise week ahead. After a well deserved aperitif on deck you are served your first of many splendid dinners aboard, prepared by your very own master chef.
 
MONDAY: Ancy-le-Franc to Tanlay

Fresh ground coffee and fluffy croissants and pastries straight from the local baker - a delicious breakfast sets us up for our gentle cruise past the beautiful 16th century Renaissance palace and gardens of Chateau d'Ancy le Franc, towards the picturesque village of Tanlay where we moor overnight. Today, as with every day of your cruise, there's plenty of opportunity to wander or cycle ahead as the vessel descends through a series of quaint hand operated locks.   
 
After a leisurely lunch we stroll over to the 16th century Renaissance-style Chateau de Tanlay, nestling serenely within this picturesque village, which also boasts a challenging 9-hole golf course (advance bookings required). The interior is luxuriously furnished and decorated by some astonishing frescoes. Afterwards enjoy a promenade along the canal bank, a cool refreshing drink on the upper deck or a leisurely wander into the village before dinner.
 
TUESDAY - Tanlay to Tonnerre

Today we have a real delight in store!  After a hearty breakfast we take a short ride to the Chateau of Ancy-le-Franc. This Renaissance jewel, set in the centre of a large park on the banks of the canal, houses the biggest collection of Renaissance murals in France making Ancy-le-Franc a direct contender of Fontainebleau Palace. The immense quadrilateral, which is a classified historic monument, holds a rich decor attributed to some of the most celebrated Italian, Flemish and Burgundy artists of the 16th and 17th century.
 
Your chef's offerings await you upon your return. Ropes away and onward past sleepy hamlets and cattle grazing by the canal banks. Our cruise today takes us to Tonnerre, one of the few places along the canal where you will find vineyards. This town is the centre of a small wine growing area of about 60 hectares producing excellent reds and roses under the name "Bourgogne Epineuil". Of particular interest is La Fosse Dionne. Situated in the centre of the old town this natural spring, the second deepest in France, has long mystified people and is well worth a visit. In 1758 it was converted into a "Lavoire". The most beautiful reminder of Tonnerre's past is the old hospital, built in 1293 by Margueritte od Burgundy. The chapel has a magnificent entombment, a masterpiece of 15th century Burgundian art.
 
WEDNESDAY - Tonnerre to St Florentin

Yet another great breakfast! Why not pop along to the Wednesday morning market before rejoining your cruise along the Burgundy Canal. This is barging at it's best. Relaxed, gentle on the soul, every bend offering something new. Hop on, hop off - we're going nowhere fast! Feeling left out - why not help us with the locks. Great exercise and the photos will be the envy of your friends.
 
Today we visit one of the great Cistercian monasteries of France. The Abbey of Pontigny was founded in 1114. Charming and rather understated on the outside, the great spaces of the interior really are something special and not to be missed if you are in northern Burgundy. More recently Pontigny Abbey has also played an important role in French culture - from 1922 to 1939 there was an annual get together of the great European intellectuals of the time at the abbey, including TS Eliot, Thomas Mann and Jean Paul Sartre. Let's not forget the Cistercian monks of Pontigny Abbey. who first planted vines in the Chablis region.
 
THURSDAY - St Florentin to Gurgy

We begin our cruise along the final stretch of the Burgundy Canal before we join the river Yonne, which winds it's way upstream to the riverside town of Auxerre. Your Captain, a veteran of the European waterways, fell in love with this delightful river when first in France and reckons it to be one of the most delightful waters he cruises on today. Birdsong abounds within the trees that line the riverbanks. Locks with sloping walls and electric gates make for stark contrast to those quaint hand operated gates on the Burgundy Canal.

Before lunch your tour guide drives you to the world famous town of Chablis where you'll take a tour of the ancient press and cellars of Domaine Laroche, followed by a winetasting of their various fine vintages. After seeing Chablis we drive a short distance to a beautiful secluded spot where you can enjoy a panoramic vista of the Grand Cru vineyards and the surrounding countryside. Your chef has prepared a surprise picnic with offerings worthy of a King's table. Great wine, great food and the companionship of friends and loved ones make for the perfect setting. Fully replenished we return to the "Savoir Faire" to continue our cruise to the sleepy riverside hamlet of Gurgy, where we moor overnight.
 
FRIDAY - Gurgy to Auxerre

Our cruise this morning takes us to our final destination and what is undoubtedly one of the prettiest towns in France. Auxerre, the capital of lower Burgundy, is situated in the heart of a wine growing region most famous for its Chablis wine. The success of this thriving town is celebrated by architectural jewels such as the ornately painted 15th century Clock Tower, the soaring Gothic cathedrals of Saint Germain and Saint Stephen and an abundance of ornate Renaissance houses bordering tree lined squares. Every street offers a golden opportunity for the aspiring photographer. After lunch your tour guide is at hand to show you around this delightful town.
 
Relax before dinner with a drink from the bar and enjoy the best view in town from the panoramic deck of the "Savoir Faire". Tonight your chef adorns your table with a special Farewell Dinner. Candlelit crystal and gleaming silverware add to the romantic ambiance of your celebration. Laughter, great times and the warmth of friendship contribute to those "Golden Memories" that last a lifetime.
 
SATURDAY - Auxerre

Finally time to say farewell to the Savoir Faire and her Captain and crew, but not before a rather special breakfast. After all, we wouldn't want you leave hungry! Bags are loaded by 9.30am and off we drive to your designated destination in Paris.
 
Note: The cruise runs in opposite direction on alternate weeks.
 

 

SAVOIR FAIRE HOME > ITINERARIES > France: Burgundy:  Ancy-le-Franc to Auxerre (2011)