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intimate and mellow

A luxury river cruise on the Saône

Flowing 300 miles from the Vosges mountains, the Saône is the quintessential French waterway. Both gentle and genteel, it ambles past poplar forests, moors, and vineyards, grazing Charolais cattle, and colorful villages where residents sip café au lait in centuries-old squares. Also dotting the Saône’s environs are countless churches, both august and humble, giving the river an almost biblical feel. Christianity was – and is – still very present here. One of its strongest bastions was in pretty Cluny in the 10th century, when the village’s Benedictine abbey was granted rare freedom from local authority. It became the most prestigious monastic institution in Europe and the world’s largest church (until completion of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, but that’s another story). Yet even with a grand credential such as this, the Saône today remains a smaller, quieter river. Not quite a fleuve, according to the French, but a rivière...

Along the Saône

One of the Saône’s spiritual strongholds was the charming village of Cluny, where a monastic reform movement began in the 10th century, establishing the village as a major religious center in Europe. Though only the bell tower remains, the abbey was once the largest church in the world, surrounded today by more than 200 medieval houses that preserve its historic charm. The Saône itself is a gentler, smaller river with minimal freight traffic. In fact, the French refer to it not as a fleuve (a major river that flows to the sea), but as a rivière. It eventually meets the Rhône in Lyon — France’s gourmet capital. Simply enchanting.

Saône Routes
Macon

Mâcon

France

With colourful old town houses and the old church of St. Vincent, with vineyards and meadows, Mâcon is a charming little town. If you walk through the city and come to Place aux Herbes, you should stop in front of the Maison de Bois wooden house. While looking at the façade, you will discover magical grotesques and mythical creatures. Incidentally, the French international footballer Antoine Griezmann was born in Mâcon.

Chalon sur saone

Chalon-sur-Saône

France

Quelle surprise! The beauty of Chalon-sur-Saône begins right at Quai Gambetta, where the boat docks. Walk upstream and discover this pretty town, where Julius Caesar left his mark, and whose museum focuses on the invention of photography. In Chalon-sur-Saône, you can see pretty half-timbered houses and façades in an Art Nouveau style. The Théâtre Piccolo was modelled on the royal opera in Versailles.

Tournus

Tournus

France

So beautiful. So tranquil. Yes, the town of Tournus is almost idyllic. The old town is cosy, and you should definitely see the former abbey with the façade of the massive Saint Philibert church – the oldest preserved large Romanesque building in France. A variety of vault shapes makes it particularly exciting. Another exciting detail is also the Hôtel-Dieu – a former hospital with fully preserved historical furnishings and a hospital pharmacy from the 17th century.

Tournus

Trevoux

France

In Trevoux, numerous ateliers will surprise you time and again with arts and crafts. Until the 18th century, Trevoux was the capital of the independent principality of Dombes. The city wall, the large houses in the city centre and the ruins of a castle still bear witness to this glorious time. From the castle ruins, the view over the Saône is incredibly impressive.

Our ship on the river Saône

Riverside Ravel

His music was known for its elegance, exquisite detail and exemplary finish. No wonder the Riverside Ravel bears his name. Sail the Rhône and Saone rivers aboard a ship that is bespoke. The design, the details, the sweet service, it all adds up to a perfectly honed experience that will make you smile for many years to come. We are meticulously crafting cruises that will match the splendor of the landscapes through which you will sail.

Riverside Ravel
SCH4549 RHI

More to explore

Rhine
Rhône
Danube

ONCE ABOARD YOU WILL HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO FIND YOURSELF.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU!

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