The best road cycling routes around Sainte-Cécile

The Rock of Solutré is a world-famous, 493-meter-high limestone rock in the south of the Burgundy region. It is located amidst the picturesque vineyards of the municipality of Solutré-Pouilly. The region is officially designated as a Grand Site de France. The hike to the summit is easy to moderate and very doable for families. It takes about 1 hour for the entire loop (approx. 4 kilometers round trip). The elevation gain is around 100 to 140 meters from the official parking lot on well-maintained paths with information panels, although there are many steps.

The Col de Durbize is a mountain pass at 550 meters above sea level in the municipality of Chiroubles, in the heart of the Beaujolais wine region. The pass is located in the Massif Central and, as an important road junction (intersection of roads D26, D86, and D18E1), connects surrounding wine villages such as Villié-Morgon and Beaujeu. It is particularly popular with road cyclists and hikers for its panoramic views.

The pass is a popular climb for road cyclists in the region. The route from Villié-Morgon via the Col du Truges up to the higher Col du Fût d'Avenas is considered a scenically beautiful, steady tour past gentle vineyards.

The Col du Bois Clair is a 396-meter high French mountain pass in the Massif Central. It is located in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in the Saône-et-Loire department and lies within the municipality of Sologny. The pass summit is crossed by the departmental road D17. Beneath the pass runs the Tunnel du Bois Clair, a former railway tunnel. At 1.6 kilometers long, it is the longest tunnel in France accessible to bicycles. Today it serves as part of the Voie Verte cycle path, but is closed from October to April to protect hibernating bats.

The Castle of Berzé-le-Châtel (also known as Forteresse de Berzé) is the largest and best-preserved medieval castle in Southern Burgundy. The complex dates back to a 10th-century castrum and was strategically built on a rocky outcrop to protect the nearby powerful Abbey of Cluny. The fortress consists of three ring walls and features 13 towers (including two keeps/donjons) as well as an imposing gatehouse. The heart of the interior is a remarkable Carolingian chapel.

The Voie Verte de Bourgogne du Sud is France's oldest car-free rail trail. It runs for almost 70 kilometers through the vineyards and hills of southern Burgundy between the towns of Chalon-sur-Saône and Mâcon.

In the Middle Ages, the abbey was one of the most influential spiritual and cultural centers in Europe. Cluny was the mother house of the Cluniac Reform and headed a federation of over 1,200 monasteries. The third abbey church (Cluny was the largest church in the Christian world until the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome). Of the once-mighty complex, only parts of the southern transept remain today, as the abbey was largely used as a quarry and demolished after the French Revolution.

The town of Cluny was based on the Benedictine monastery (Cluniac Abbey), founded in 910. The abbey was the starting point and center of the Cluniac reform at the beginning of the 10th century. Cluny reached its peak membership at the beginning of the 12th century with approximately 400 monks. The last abbey church (Cluniac 3) was the world's largest Romanesque basilica and, until the construction of today's St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the largest church in Christendom. The church had seven towers. Although large parts of the building were destroyed, the remaining relics are absolutely remarkable and make a visit to Cluny an unforgettable experience!