Chablis and the Morvan: A Road Trip Through Rural Burgundy
Driving through Chablis, the Morvan and Vézelay in search of the quieter side of France
As roving feature writer for this newspaper I cover a lot of miles, so you’d think driving would be the last thing I’d want to do on holiday. However, motoring in France is different. So empty and excellent are the roads, driving is a pleasure.
Of course, there’s the lunchtime highlight of finding those wonderful roadside Les Routiers diners where you will see the inevitable mustering of trucks. French lorry drivers know a thing or two about eating and the general rule of thumb seems to be: the greater the number of trucks outside, the better the food inside.
But it’s more than the obvious gastronomic pleasures offered by the open road in France – a good deal of the enjoyment is derived from the roads themselves.
If you buy the yellow-jacketed Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas and are prepared to meander wherever the mood takes you, you’re in for a treat. The marvellous tome will guide you anywhere in that vast and scenic country – from the tiniest hamlet to the mightiest city, from the salt marshes of the Camargue to the heights of the Alps.
The atlas depicts every single byway and lane and here we come to the very best thing about motoring in France – these smaller roads tend to be excellent.
When we see tiny yellow or white roads marked on a map in England we quite rightly envisage tortuous narrow lanes squeezed between high hedgerows. Such byways are a delight in their own way, but they do not make for easy motoring.
In France many roads marked as minor routes are actually fine highways capable of allowing large vehicles to pass each other unhindered – and they are often wonderfully quiet.
So for years it has been my great pleasure to duck and dive down these myriad routes in deepest France whenever the chance comes my way.
And such a chance occurred the day when Brittany Ferries invited me to try their then-new go-fast catamaran that plied between Poole and Cherbourg.
Poole is a convenient port of departure for West Country motorists, and Cherbourg is as handy a springboard as anywhere on the north French coast.
Today the service is rather different, with Brittany Ferries operating conventional car-ferry sailings between Poole and Cherbourg. The crossing currently takes around 4 hours 45 minutes, with daily daytime sailings, although timetables vary seasonally.
But the principle remains exactly the same: get across the Channel with your car and you can soon be heading into the wonderfully open countryside of France.
Immense forests, open prairies, meandering rivers, working canals, exquisite chateaux, medieval villages and quaint market towns are all part of a morning or afternoon’s motoring in the rural vastness of the Land of Gaul.
Driving through the Chablis wine region
Recently I was staying with friends on the edge of the Chablis region which is situated east of the city of Auxerre, in the Yonne department of Burgundy.
The region is named after the small town of Chablis. It’s a pretty little place utterly dominated by the production of its famous white wine.
It has always struck me as odd that somewhere so landlocked could produce a wine that goes so perfectly with anything marine.
Shellfish and Chablis is one of the best food-drink combinations there is.
And Chablis is rather more substantial as a wine region than you might imagine.
Today the Chablis vineyards cover about 5,866 hectares, with hundreds of wine estates producing the four recognised appellations of Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru.
The Premier Cru vineyards account for roughly 770 hectares, while the Grand Cru vineyards occupy only about 100 hectares.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that the very best bottles can command serious prices.
The remarkable thing is how concentrated the Grand Cru vineyards are on a small group of slopes overlooking the town and River Serein.
Chablis is made from Chardonnay and its distinctive character is closely linked to the area's ancient Kimmeridgian limestone soils, laid down when this part of France was covered by a shallow sea roughly 150 million years ago.
There are even tiny fossilised oyster remains in the rocks.
This helps explain why Chablis has acquired such a natural affinity with oysters and other shellfish.
It also explains why modern visitors can spend considerably more time thinking about geology than they might have expected when they set out for a wine holiday.
Chablis to Tonnerre: take the scenic route
You pay the best part of a tenner for a reasonable bottle, even in Chablis.
In fact my local pal whispered the following advice as I walked towards a wine cave in town:
“Don’t go mad, you can buy the same stuff cheaper at the Auchan supermarket in Tonnerre.”
He was right, though I felt guilty putting bottles into a shopping trolley rather than paying the producer – and couldn’t quite understand how this upside-down commercial state of affairs could have come about.
Anyway, we took the scenic route to Tonnerre which led us around the southerly edge of the wine-growing region.
We followed the River Serein upstream through the village of Chichée and onto Poilly, where we took an even smaller road up over picturesque hills to Viviers and on to Tonnerre.
This afforded us sweeping views of this most French of regions – in one place we could see more than 50 miles. This is exactly the sort of driving I love in France.
There is no particular need to rush from one famous attraction to another. You can simply look at the map, pick a road that looks interesting and see where it takes you.
And if the road leads through a village with a café, a market or a little restaurant, so much the better.
A day trip from Chablis into the Morvan
But it was the day-long circular drive south of Chablis to the Parc Naturel Régional du Morvan that I’d heartily recommend to any Francophile.
Long before I took to sojourning in France I read a remarkable book called Le Grand Meaulnes by a writer called Alain-Fournier – it is the haunting account of a young man who finds himself at a party somewhere deep in the countryside.
He is smitten by a beautiful girl and the memory of her, and the place, preoccupies him for years to come.
Though he searches and searches, he is never able to find the lost demesne again.
Somehow, the Morvan is like that.
It is a forested region, full of lakes, and it is riddled with lanes and ancient trackways.
It’s easy to get lost – and there’s nothing I love more than losing my way in beautiful places.
The Morvan is still one of those parts of France where the landscape is a major part of the attraction. The Regional Natural Park is a land of forests, lakes, rivers and quiet country roads, with a particularly strong reputation for walking and outdoor activities.
The modern park promotes more than 80 marked walking circuits, as well as longer-distance routes including the GR13 and the Tour du Morvan by the great lakes.
For walkers, cyclists and motorists who like getting away from the obvious tourist trail, it is a remarkably rewarding corner of Burgundy.
Bibracte and Mont Beuvray
Morvan means “black mountain” in the language of the Gauls, who ruled France before the Romans invaded. Evidence of this ancient world can still be found in the region.
One of the most fascinating places is Bibracte, the archaeological site on Mont Beuvray, where the remains of a major Gallic settlement lie beneath the forest.
When I visited, the fortifications had all but disappeared beneath the trees, but the strategic importance of the site was obvious.
Today Bibracte is one of the Morvan's major attractions and the archaeological and natural site can be explored on foot. Mont Beuvray rises to 821 metres and provides magnificent views across the surrounding countryside.
It is another reminder that the Morvan isn't simply somewhere to drive through.
You could quite easily spend several days here walking, cycling, exploring archaeological sites and visiting the villages scattered among the forests.
Avallon: gateway to the Morvan
Avallon is the northern gateway to the national park and worth a quick stopover if only to walk out along the massive ramparts that jut above the deep gorge of the River Cousin.
There are all sorts of ancient buildings up on the rocky outcrop, such as the 11th-century collegiate church of Saint-Lazare.
The venerable law courts were part of a ducal castle, as was the clock tower built in 1456.
We didn’t dally too long because it was a hot day and from the ramparts we could see the forested Morvan stretching south like a cool green sea.
The thought of picnicking by one of the area’s many lakes whisked us out of town with all the zeal of the ancient crusaders who used to populate these parts.
Swimming and picnicking in the Morvan
Within 20 minutes we were bathing in a lake near the picturesque village of Marigny-l’Eglise.
A sign announced swimming was forbidden but, in the French way, several families were enjoying the water regardless of the law.
Later a man hung his towel over the sign to dry, and we tucked into the largest picnic it’s been my pleasure to consume in years.
Local cheeses and pâtés were the main highlight, but I ate far too many of the crisp, pungent radishes which are a feature of any French country market at this time of the year.
It is difficult to imagine a more satisfying way of spending a hot summer afternoon.
Walking in the forests of the Morvan
We walked off the excesses of lunch – the Morvan is great hiking and cycling country and we found a path that seemed to go nowhere through the forest.
The innumerable footpaths were once main thoroughfares linking the many villages and moorland farms and some have taken on that sunken profile caused by a million feet and hooves down the centuries.
This remains one of the great pleasures of the Morvan.
You don't necessarily need a grand itinerary.
Indeed, I think the Morvan is best appreciated when you allow yourself to wander.
The modern visitor will find everything from short marked walks to much longer hiking routes, but the atmosphere remains much as I remembered it: wooded, quiet and slightly mysterious.
Vézelay: one of the great sights of Burgundy
To exit the park we took the westerly route north so we could visit the famous hilltop village of Vézelay.
Situated a few miles east of the River Yonne, it is one of those places that, once visited, are never forgotten.
You climb its cobbled main street amid buildings that make Dunster or Clovelly look modern, and eventually arrive at the great church.
This is one of the most important sites of pilgrimage in France since it was believed to have once housed the relics of Mary Magdalene.
Today the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine and the hill of Vézelay are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica is regarded by UNESCO as a masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque architecture, and Vézelay's importance as a pilgrimage centre stretches back to the Middle Ages.
When we were there exquisite organ music floated about the place and white-hooded priests wafted incense and chanted a series of never-ending prayers in Latin.
It was all very ethereal. And some places simply have that effect.
Back to Chablis – and a glass of Burgundy
And so back to Chablis and to a well-deserved glass of the very same.
Tootling through rural France might not be everyone’s idea of a holiday, but for nostalgic folk like me it’s like being in the England of the 1950s.
It’s big, empty, pastoral and unspoilt – which is how I like my countryside.
And fairly dry, which is how I like my wine.
Planning a Chablis and Morvan road trip
The beauty of this part of France is that you don't need to organise every minute of the journey.
Chablis makes a useful base for exploring the vineyards and surrounding villages, while the Morvan lies to the south and offers a completely different landscape of forests, lakes and hills.
Vézelay provides another excellent stop on a circular journey.
For British motorists, the Poole-Cherbourg ferry remains a useful route into northern France. Brittany Ferries currently operates the crossing on its Barfleur service, with the journey taking about 4 hours 45 minutes.
From Cherbourg it is a long drive towards Burgundy, but that is rather the point.
The journey is part of the holiday.
And if you are prepared to leave the motorways and take the smaller roads, you may discover that the best bits of France are the bits you weren't actually looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chablis?
Chablis is a small town in the Yonne department of Burgundy in central-eastern France, close to Auxerre. It is surrounded by the vineyards that produce the famous dry white Chablis wines.
Is Chablis worth visiting?
Yes, particularly if you enjoy wine, food, scenic driving and small French towns. The surrounding countryside is also ideal for exploring by car, with vineyards, villages and quiet roads leading towards Tonnerre and the Morvan.
What is Chablis wine made from?
Chablis is made from Chardonnay grapes. The vineyards are particularly associated with Kimmeridgian limestone and marl, geological formations dating back roughly 150 million years.
How far is the Morvan from Chablis?
The northern edge of the Morvan is within easy driving distance of Chablis, making the region suitable for a day trip. For a more leisurely experience, however, it would be worth allowing several days to explore the forests, lakes, villages and walking routes.
What is there to do in the Morvan?
Walking, cycling, scenic driving, swimming, fishing, exploring lakes and visiting historic sites are among the main attractions. Bibracte and Mont Beuvray are particularly interesting for anyone fascinated by France's pre-Roman history.
Is Vézelay worth visiting?
Absolutely. Vézelay is famous for its beautiful hilltop setting and Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, which forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also an important historic pilgrimage destination.
How long should you spend in Chablis and the Morvan?
I'd allow at least three or four days if you want to combine Chablis, the surrounding vineyards, the Morvan and Vézelay without rushing. A week would allow much more time for walking and exploring the smaller roads.
Is Chablis good with seafood?
Very much so. Dry Chablis is traditionally regarded as an excellent match for oysters, shellfish and other seafood. Its fresh acidity makes it particularly good with lighter dishes.
Is the Poole to Cherbourg ferry still running?
Yes. Brittany Ferries currently operates the Poole-Cherbourg route, with daily daytime sailings and a crossing time of around 4 hours 45 minutes. Timetables vary seasonally.
Fact File
Destination: Chablis, Yonne, Burgundy, France
Best for: Scenic driving, wine, food, walking, villages and rural France
Nearby highlights: Tonnerre, Avallon, Morvan Regional Natural Park, Bibracte, Mont Beuvray and Vézelay
Ferry access: Poole to Cherbourg with Brittany Ferries
Original trip: Martin Hesp and his family travelled to France as guests of Brittany Ferries and used the Poole-Cherbourg route.
Important: Ferry prices and sailing times quoted in the original newspaper article are historic and should not be used for current travel planning.
