Surrounded by the Côte Chalonnaise wine region, Chalon-sur-Saône is a picturesque riverside town and a former trade port in southern Burgundy. It was the birthplace of former Louvre director Vivant Denon and photography inventor Nicéphore Niépce and is a stopping point for pleasure cruises along the Saône.
Things to do in Chalon-sur-Saône
In the heart of the city is the twin-towered Chalon Cathedral, which was established in the 8th century and completed in the 19th. Designated as a Monument Historique, it exhibits diverse architectural styles, including a Neo-Gothic facade and Burgundian Romanesque chapels. Highlights of the interior include a 16th-century Belgian tapestry and a fresco dating from the 1400s.
Photography enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the Musée Nicéphore-Niépce, which details the history of the craft and the life of its locally-born inventor. As you browse the vintage cameras and personal objects on display, you can learn how Nicéphore Niépce devised what was known as the “heliographic process”. The museum also boasts a collection of around three million photographs developed using a variety of processes.
Another museum not to miss is named after Vivant Denon, a locally born artist and archaeologist who was appointed as the first Director of the Louvre by Napoleon. In addition to learning about his career and legacy, the Musée Vivant-Denon houses Italian Baroque paintings, Gallo-Roman bronzes and decorative furnishings, as well as an impressive collection of gemstones.
Getting around Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône is around an hour’s drive south of Dijon and 1.5 hours north of Lyon. Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport is also 1.5 hours away and has flights to destinations across Europe and North Africa. Trains connect from Paris to the Chalon-sur-Saône railway station while buses travel throughout the city.