Saint-Leger-sur-Dheune France
3
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Frequently Asked Questions
At the village port on the Canal du Centre, in Saône-et-Loire. The port is shaded and planted with flowers, and serves as a base for many hire boats. The church tower shows through the trees, minutes from the pontoon.
Yes, and that sets this stop apart from many others on the canal: bakery, butcher, grocery, pharmacy and cafes are all within ten minutes' walk of the port. It is a resupply stop valued by boaters.
Watch the boats work through the locks, wander the village, and ride out on the greenway. There is no monument to tick off: the interest lies in canal life and in watching the Burgundy countryside.
A waterway dug in the late 18th century to link the Saône to the Loire. It long carried coal and goods between the two basins; today it belongs entirely to pleasure boaters.
Yes, and it is the best outing. The towpath is part of the cycle route running from Nantes to Budapest: flat, safe, dotted with hamlets, with no significant gradient. Toward Santenay to the northeast or the Dheune valley to the southwest.
Yes, the Côte Chalonnaise is a few kilometres away: Rully, Mercurey and their cellars feature in excursions depending on the programme. Check on board for days and times, which vary.
A continuous entertainment: hire boats manoeuvre with varying success, gates open with a hiss of water, and regulars hand out advice and a helping line to beginners tangled in their ropes. Watching one full lock cycle here counts as the fine art of doing nothing.
The euro. Village shops generally take cards, but keep cash: in a village this size not everything is equipped, and markets rarely are.
A hat and a water bottle. Some sections of the towpath offer little shade in summer, and the Burgundy sun is stronger by the water than you expect.
Go early. Passing crews descend on it in the morning and the pastries go fast. A small detail, but it makes the difference between a good memory and a queue.
