SAULIEU, True to Itself Throughout the Ages
In an Unspoilt and Undiscovered Region of France – In the The Morvan Nature Park and Lake District, Central Burgundy - Perfect for a relaxed and country lifestyle.
Over a long historical period Travelers have always made a break in SAULIEU, halfway between PARIS and LYON on the Southern road to the French Riviera, and enjoyed its fine restaurants and hospitality.
The original Relay Inns and Coachouses are still here to remind us of this prestigious past. The Famous 3 star Restaurant “la Côte d’Or” originally founded by the famous French Chef ‘Bernard Loiseau’ is still going strong, and other restaurants alongside the main road carry on the tradition of French “Haute Cuisine”. In town a wide range of less expensive restaurants can be found too, table d’hôtes, café meals, with the very French ‘Plat de jour’ Inns, Grills, Italian Restaurants, Créperies and Salad bars.
These days, tourists, travelers, nature lovers, the “over stressed” from Cities, and International House-Hunters come here for longer periods, and are pleasantly surprised by this unpretentious and interesting Town. Walking towards the Town Centre, one passes the 12th Century Basilica “Saint Andoche “ and the lovely Museum named after “Francois Pompon”, a French Animal Sculpture Artist where a permanent exhibition of his work can be seen, along with local History and Traditions, Celtic Stones, Art Exhibitions and Bernard Loiseau’s Moped !
Local shops display a fine wealth of French Traditions; The “Fromagerie” where the owners love to explain (and also usually let you taste) the merits of the local cheeses such as ‘Epoisses’ or the strong tasting goats cheese from a nearby mysteriously named Monastry ‘La pierre qui vire” (which literally means ‘the rock that moved’ dating back from an old Celtic legend)
The famous Charolais Butcher, where a daily queue gathers, and some Parisians come to buy the best beef in France!
The wonderful bakers, chocolate and pastry specialties, the Italian flower shops, the fine food stores, the small but specialized wine cellar, the friendly grocers who still put your food in a bag for you, the café owners who love a chat, the oldest café in Burgundy ‘Le Parisian’ with its fine engraved windows, and its particularly interesting owner, the Post Office staff who still take the time of day to ask after the health of the elderly, and where everyone says ‘bonjour and ‘au revoir’ upon entering and leaving, the huge “brocante” with a car-boot sale atmosphere “le Puces de Morvan”, the Chemists where attractive staff still actually smile, the Cinema created in renovated Religious buildings, the Pink Indoor Market Building and village square where there is always something going on (even a bear appearance recently), the Square where the Saturday Market takes place under the trees, and draws in crowds from all the surrounding villages to share a glass of Chablis, make this small town rather special and where one realizes perhaps that you can be very happy with a much easier lifestyle !
Saulieu hosts and welcomes lots of activities during the festive period too, and throughout the year such as the “Jounées Gourmandes du Grand Morvan” (A huge Gastronomique Food Fair, held every May) the famous CHAROLAIS cattle show, the ‘Nuits Cajun’ Music Festival, the Book Fair, the N6 road and Vintage Cars show, the ‘Les Arts au Soleil’ manifestation, various Artisanal Craft Fairs, Quad and Motorbike Rally organizations, and many more privately organized events.
It also has a riding school, a mountain bike centre, a campsite, open air swimming pool, tennis courts, sports centre and schools.
For long term stays, a very good Community Centre where you can sign up for free French Lessons, and join in with other pastimes to practice your French, such as Yoga, Drawing, Dancing, Basket weaving, Piano lessons, Patchwork quilt making, and where staff are always eager to help with any other sort of social problem concerning your family life.
A Hospital with most specialized services, and of course the usual Banks, Insurance Companies, Clothes,Shoe, Toy, and Hardware shops, and on it outskirts two hypermarkets, a railway station, and a small (but very discreet !) Industrial Estate.
SAULIEU, this meeting place which is hard to define ! a lively village, an old small town in the middle of nowhere, a rural retreat, a holiday stop-over…?? Will probably be never too overcrowded, never too popular, will always have some houses that need their roofs redoing and their outside walls rendering, will never gain any awards for the “Prettiest French Village” But it is entire, true to itself, all or nothing, you will like or dislike it, stay forever or move on.
One thing is for sure, it has kept its local people, its normality, its life, its soul, its pleasant atmosphere, that very ‘something special’ ou “je ne sais quoi” that we seem to be losing contact with in these modern times.… And if, like me (I have lived in the area for the last 25 years) you are ready to contribute something of yourself to this wonderful area, you are most likely to be very welcomed, (whether you are Parisian, Dutch, German, Belge, Chinese, Australian , African, or whatever) you will be taken on face value and receive the bonus of a whole new lifestyle !
How to get here
AIR: New !! Daily Flights To/from DIJON/SOUTHAMPTON (Dijon 62kms)
TRAIN: TGV Station MONTBARD (40kms, with a bus that bring you to/from SAULIEU)
Daily TGV Direct connections to PARIS, and Charles de Gaulle Airport (only one hour train journey) Also to LILLE (two hours train journey) and then Eurostar Connections to LONDON and BRUSSELS
ROAD: 225 kms from PARIS on the A6 South Motorway, exit at ‘Avallon’ 190 kms from GENEVA Switzerland. 175kms from LYON
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