ROUTE DES VACANCES ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS
“APREMONT-SUR-ALLIER IS A PLUS BEAU VILLAGE, WITH ITS CHÂTEAU, PARC FLORAL,
AND STONE HOUSES PRETTILY REFLECTED IN THE RIVER”
is different from that in the Valley of Kings, and a walk through the Réserve Naturelle Val de Loire indicates, with interpretation panels, the importance of the river’s biodiversity. A further 11km south at La Charité- sur-Loire, the banks of the Loire offer up the perfect picnic spot. It’s also worth a wander into the town centre for a look at the Cluniac priory and church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and while you’re there, climb to the ruined ramparts to work off that picnic and be rewarded with excellent views. I decide to skip the city of Nevers, the next
signifi cant stop along the N7 (the road at this stage is the A77), in favour of a rural detour on the D45 from La Charité to Apremont-sur-Allier. This quiet road follows the Canal latéral à la Loire again until it reaches the River Allier, a tributary of the Loire. Apremont-sur- Allier is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, with its château, Parc Floral, and stone houses prettily refl ected in the river. Beyond Nevers (and Apremont), the N7 tours through the Allier valley, with open countryside and fi elds grazed by Charolais cattle. At Moulins, also on the Allier River, you can explore the Centre national du costume de scène, where you’ll fi nd 10,000-plus stage costumes, including many from la Comédie-Française and the l’Opéra National de Paris.
FOOD AND DRINK
Wine-lovers touring the N7 are spoilt with a vineyard crawl from the southern Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-sur-Loire and the lesser-known Côtes de la Charité) to Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône (including Crozes-Hermitage, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and Saint-Péray close by) to Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Coteaux Varois en Provence (around Brignoles) and the Côtes de Provence. Stop by La Maison des Sancerre, in the village centre; the Cave de Tain in Tain-l’Hermitage, the co-operative of 280 vignerons from the Côtes du Rhône; and the Maison des Vins Côtes de Provence, directly on the N7 at Les Arcs, which represents more than 800 regional wines. Lyon is considered France’s gastronomic capital and there are
numerous not-to-be-missed foodie experiences throughout the city, from guided walks to food festivals and cookery workshops. Be sure to eat out at a traditional bouchon for an authentic Lyonnais culinary experience.
Aug/Sep 2022 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 37
Lapalisse, regarded as a notable village étape during the 1960s heyday of the Route des Vacances, is, with its formidable hillside château, still a desirable stop-off. It’s the last village along the N7 before the landscape changes; as the N7 turns southeast, it climbs into the brooding Monts de la Madeleine, before descending to Roanne, where the N7 meets the Loire once more. Leaving Roanne behind, the route climbs again, into the lush hills of the Monts du Lyonnais, a rolling landscape of oaks, beech and pine forest interspersed with verdant meadows. There’s scenery aplenty to divert from the N7, including the gentle undulations of Beaujolais to the north. At 759m, the Col du Pin- Bouchain is the highest point along the N7 and is also geographically signifi cant; its summit marks the border between the departments of the Loire and the Rhône and it is the watershed between rivers draining north to the Atlantic and those to the south fl owing into the Med. Historically, the Col is of interest as well: it is here in 1536 that King François I promised his daughter Madeleine’s hand in marriage to King
❯❯
Clockwise from top: Make a short detour from the N7 so you don’t miss Apremont-sur- Allier, designated a Plus Beau Village; if you stop at Nevers, you’ll see la Cathédrale Saint- Cyr-et Sainte-Julitte; the Monts du Lyonnais represent the highest point along the N7 and offer a notable change of scene from the river valleys; Pouilly- sur-Loire is renowned for its white wines
IMAGES ©ALAIN DOIRE/BOURGOGNE-FRANCHE-COMTÉ TOURISME, HENDRICK MONNIER/
WWW.NIEVRE-TOURISM.COM, CAROLINE MILLS
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