It was summer, and we wanted to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, while avoiding crowded places. We don't usually go on holiday at the height of the season...
So we swapped our motorhome for a van (Stylevan Boréal V) and headed off to the depths of Burgundy-Franche Comté for a road-trip in the heart of the Morvan Regional Nature Park. Welcome to this timeless region!
The Morvan: a different kind of Burgundy alongside the wine route
Let's make no mistake: the Morvan is not a flagship destination!
Well, next to the Burgundy wine region, this sparsely populated area of fields, wooded valleys and lakes may pale into insignificance.
Not wild, but natural, the Morvan is nevertheless a little haven of peace out of time. That's what we were looking for, and we weren't disappointed!
Vézelay and its basilica of Sainte Marie-Madeleine
From north to south, the Morvan is bordered by pretty villages with old stone buildings. We start, of course, with Vézelay, in the very north, but we don't want to linger too long.
The impressive basilica of Sainte Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay holds no secrets for us.
A pilgrimage site on the route to Santiago de Compostela
We already discovered it on another trip. And this summer, it's a busy one. The town is on the route to Santiago de Compostela. The Basilica itself is a place of pilgrimage.
So there are some mythical places to discover in the surrounding area: the charming village of Saint-Père, Pierre Perthuis, and on another note, Vauban's château at Bazoches.
The Morvan Regional Nature Park: Yonne, Nièvre, Côte-d'Or and Saône-et-Loire
From here, we head for Quarré-les-Tombes, in the heart of the Morvan Regional Nature Park. We took the opportunity to do some shopping for part of our stay.
It's a pretty little town, and one that doesn't skimp on puns! Nearby is the site of the abbey of Sainte-Marie-de-la-Pierre-qui-Vire in the commune of Saint-Léger-Vauban.
Service areas and campsites
There are plenty of campsites and service areas for motorhomes, vans and campervans in the Morvan.
But you can also find bivouacs in the countryside, as long as you respect the environment. This is the subject of our YouTube video "Camping Sauvage, tout est permis en France?" filmed in the Morvan.
Bivouacs and wild camping in Burgundy
Each nature park has its own legislation governing bivouacs and wild camping.
The Morvan Regional Nature Park has no restrictive legislation in this area, except around certain lakes, where parking is regulated by decree.
5 km from Quarré-les-Tombes, you can park for free, thanks to the France Passion network, in the large field next to the Auberge de l'Atre, where you can enjoy a meal. Francis Salomard's hotel-restaurant serves country-style dishes made from excellent local produce.
The great lakes of the Morvan
The Morvan has a large number of more or less developed reservoirs.
Some are very popular, such as Lac de Saint-Agnan, Lac de Pannecière and Lac des Settons. We loved picnicking and relaxing by the water.
Water sports activities around Lac des Settons
Lac des Settons offers a wide range of water-based activities. It is not possible to camp around the lake, but there is an area for motorhomes.
We enjoyed the more private aspects of Lac du Crescent, Lac de Chaumeçon and Lac de Chamboux, which are timelessly calm and gentle.
Saint-Brisson, la Maison du Parc
We headed for the "Maison du Parc du Morvan" in Saint-Brisson. There are peat bogs in the vicinity, which are unfortunately undergoing work as we pass by.
Saulieu, the François Pompon museum
Nearby, you can also visit Saulieu, where you can admire sculptor François Pompon's Bear and his museum. It is also the home of the Relais Bernard Loiseau.
Saut du Gouloux, the Morvan's star attraction
We didn't stop at Saut du Gouloux. The car park was full of people. A shame, you might ask? It's certainly a beautiful site.
But as we've already told you, places that are too crowded with tourists are best avoided and our discoveries put off until later, so that we can appreciate them to the full.
Petanque and local markets
We prefer to stroll by the lakes, visit the little markets, chat for hours in the pubs and play endless games of pétanque in the villages that have kept all their 'juice'.
Authenticity and total disconnection!
For us, this is the strength of this type of destination. Far away from the world, they offer a total disconnection, a return to basics. Never mind the breathtaking scenery (we're not in Savoie), we're content with this gentle, generous authenticity.
Our 3 favourite addresses in the Morvan
- La Recycl' in Lormes: Atypical, original, warm and vintage. It occupies a former Renault garage. The association that runs the place serves organic and local food and regularly organises shows and concerts. Well worth a visit!
- Le Cornemuse in Arleuf: Situated near Mont Beuvray and the Morvan lakes. A warm and colourful place, serving Morvan specialities and local beer. Concerts and shows are held at weekends.
- Le Morvan d'Elle, in Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray: Ideal for a moment's relaxation in the shade of the lime trees in the village square. The welcome is friendly, and there are areas of old France, of pretty old France. We love it!
Château-Chinon, capital of the Morvan
We then set off for Château Chinon, the capital of the Morvan, via the Lac de Pannecière. Château Chinon is the home of François Mitterrand, who was mayor of the town for many years.
The former President of the Fifth Republic also left his mark on Mont Beuvray (long before Arnaud Montebourg) a few kilometres further south.
Mont Folin, the highest point in Morvan
We had to get up high to get a good view of the whole of the Morvan. The highest peaks are to be found to the south of the Natural Park.
Mont Folin, the highest of them all, rises to 901 metres precisely, but I might as well tell you straight away that it doesn't offer an unobstructed view...
Mont Beuvray, the most famous Morvan peak
Mont Beuvray rises to 821 metres. It's a must-see site in the Morvan, if only for the view, so even if it's a bit crowded, it would be hard to miss an excursion.
At its summit are the ruins of an ancient Gallic oppidum (village), Bribacte. The Museum of Celtic Civilisation opened its doors here in 1996.
Autun and its Gallo-Roman site
We can't recommend enough that you drive as far south as Autun, the gateway to the Morvan Regional Nature Park.
It's a very pretty town, with a wealth of remains dating from the Gallo-Roman period, including the imposing theatre.
Poil, a town with a funny name
After a week in the countryside, it was time to return our Stylevan to Auxerre.
Even though, by the way, we ended up sleeping... in Poil (see our video)! A town in France with an unusual name because the word "Poil" means hair in French and we have the famous expression "dormir à poil" which means "to sleep naked". So imagine the laughter when you say you slept in the nude.
Join us for more adventures on the French roads with Swinguy, our motorhome, and don't hesitate to follow us on our networks! See you soon!
Pauline & Simon
