Villefranche-sur-Saone France
4
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
AmaWaterways (4 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
On the bank of the Saône, a short distance from the centre. Once in town, everything of interest lines the Rue Nationale, the artery crossing the centre from north to south, and it is all walkable on flat ground.
Two options that do not combine easily: stay in town for the Rue Nationale, its Renaissance courtyards and the Notre-Dame-des-Marais collegiate church, or head out into the vineyards. The town takes about two hours; Beaujolais takes the half-day.
The façades, by looking up. Behind the shop windows hide turreted houses, mullioned windows, inner courtyards and discreet passages, the legacy of the cloth merchants who built the town's fortune. A stop at the tourist office tells you which courtyards are open to the public that day.
From the word calade, the flat stones that once edged house thresholds. It is a scrap of local vocabulary guides enjoy sharing, and it says a lot about a merchant town that prospered on trade fairs from the Middle Ages onward.
Yes. The slopes begin at the edge of town. Excursions generally head for the hilltop villages of the Pierres Dorées, such as Oingt, or to family cellars where the winegrower pours the tasting personally.
No, and that is the most stubborn misconception. Gamay shows a far broader range than its young-wine reputation: the northern crus, from Morgon to Fleurie, age well and deserve attention. The nouveau is celebrated here every third Thursday of November, and this town is its world epicentre.
The southern part of Beaujolais, where the limestone takes on a honey colour in the sun that gave the area its name. You see it on the Renaissance façades of Villefranche-sur-Saône itself and in the hilltop villages nearby.
A local tradition in late January where residents parade by age group in dark suits and flowered top hats, following a ritual handed down since the late 19th century. River cruises rarely sail at that time of year, but the festival says much about how attached Caladois are to their town.
Lyon specialities rule here as close neighbours: quenelles, brioche-wrapped sausage, cervelle de canut fresh cheese, pink praline tart. A glass of Beaujolais-Villages on a small square terrace makes the call. Dry sausage or a pot of local honey are easy souvenirs to carry aboard.
Cards work fine in town. Keep some euros in cash if you head out to the vineyards, though: some small family cellars still prefer cash for a bottle bought after the tasting.
