|
MECON
is a lively, prosperous place on the banks of the River SaEne, 58km south of Chalon and 68km north of Lyon, with excellent transport connections between the two. It's a centre for the wine trade and numerous light industries, with a surprisingly sunny southern seaside feel, thanks to its long cafe-lined
river bank
. There are no great sights here, but it's worth finding the time for a riverside drink or a stroll through its pedestrian quarter. If you're visiting in late July-early August, look out for the free outdoor jazz concerts.
Lamartine, the nineteenth-century French Romantic poet
, was born here in 1790 and his name is much in evidence. He is remembered in the handsome eighteenth-century mansion, the HEtel Senece in rue Sigorgne, which houses the
Musee Lamartine
(Mon & Wed-Sat 10am-noon & 2-6pm, Sun 2-6pm; 15F/e¬2.28), part of which is dedicated to documents and other memorabilia to do with his personal, political and poetic lives. Nearby, on the corner of place des Herbes where a summertime fruit and veg market is held, stands the town's main tourist curiosity, an extraordinary wooden house built around 1500 and known as the
Maison du Bois Dore
, with a wonderful bar/cafe downstairs that serves cocktails until 2 or 3am. The town also has a medieval art and Gallo-Roman archeological museum, the
Musee des Ursulines
, at 5 rue des Ursulines (Mon & Wed-Sat 10am-noon & 2-6pm, Sun 2-6pm; 15F/e¬2.28), housed in a seventeenth-century convent.
The most affordable, enjoyable and educational way to bone up on the MEcon, Beaujolais and Chalonnais wines is to visit the
Maison MEconnaise des Vins
, 484 av Lattre-de-Tassigny (daily 8am-9pm; tel 03.85.38.62.22), where the N6 comes into town along the riverside from Chalon - a ten-minute walk from the centre of town. Aside from the usual wine-tasting routine, you can also sample vintages by the glass (from 12F/e¬1.83), accompanied by regional dishes such as
andouillette
,
petit sale
and goat's cheese (from 45F/e¬6.86), on the large shady balcony of the restaurant, where food is available all day.
|
