Welcome to beaujeu ( rhône )

Beaujeu honours the glorious past. It is the historical capital of the Beaujolais wine, area to which the lords of the place gave their name: Beaujeu - Beaujolais wine. It was one of the three baronnies of the kingdom of France, at one time, between XI and XV century, where Beaujeu entered by alliance the royal family.

This glory, it owes it with the skill of its lords, as brilliant policies as frightening warriors. De Beaujeu, the lords of the place controlled l' one of the main axes of transport enters the South and Paris, via Bourbonnais, before l' center of the Saone does not supplant it.

The Saint Nicolas church, devoted in 1132 by the Innocent pope II in person, testifies to this history. Today, Beaujeu is a commune of 2.000 inhabitants who extends on 1.725 hectares, which the third is in vines and profits from l' Name d' Controlled origin " Beaujolais wine-Villages".

Beaujeu is elsewhere the capital of this famous name which relates to 35 communes. It is also chief town of a canton of 17 communes where nine of the ten vintages of the Beaujolais wine are, of the wines of the excellence recognized: Mill-with-wind, Chénas, Juliénas, Flowered, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Coast-of-Brouilly.

Beaujeu, heiress of a glorious past, is a small town of France where it makes good things in life near the large regional capital, Lyon (60 km), and of the principal loader-gates, parks TGV of Mâcon-Loach to 25 km and motorway to 12 km… This situation makes it possible tourism to develop.

Each year, more and more of visitors, which much comes from Northern Europe, discover this territory and set out again conquered by the sumptuous landscapes, user-friendliness, the frank and jovial spirit, the simplicity, which belong to the virtues beaujolaises…

Faithful to its currency " With all coming Beaujeu" , the historical capital of the Beaujolais wine is always happy to accomodate them.

The Vault of the Beaujolais-Villages wines is installed in the arched cellars of the Town hall.

It was created in 1956 by the vine growers of the Beaujolais-Villages wines, for the promotion and the defense of the authenticity of  the appellation.

From the entry, the sculpture of St-Vincent, owner of the vine growers, will protect your visit. In a niche, the wax of the effigy Anne de Beaujeu, Première Dame  of the Beaujolais wine, takes care on the spot.

• About 1460-1522: birth of the girl of the king Louis XI.
• 1473: marriage d' Anne of France with Pierre de Bourbon, lord of Beaujeu.
• 1483-1492: regency. With the death of her father, Anne becomes regent of France. Anne and Pierre de Beaujeu restored the order threatened by the feudal anarchy, and they left strong and prosperous France to the young king Charles VIII, his brother. Their patronage announces already the Rebirth.

You will be always well accomodated by Martine, according to the pure Beaujolaise tradition, which will make you taste this wine with the beautiful dress color cherry and the red fruit flavours.

The museum was created in 1942 per Marius Audin, main printer in Lyon, regional and preserving historian of the popular traditions.

The objects gathered by topics in the various rooms testify to last to the life beaujolaise.
A collection of old headstocks with their furniture and their accessories with their size.  

A room on the local arts and crafts

Sabot-maker, tannery, edge-tool industry, like the old agriculture. An old room of the Hotel God with the usual objects of the patients. An interior reconstituted beaujolais wine. A former classroom, material and schoolbooks. The history of the wine making beaujolaise which recalls:

• Culture and treatment of the vines
• Cooperage
• Marketing

A new room " Philippe Burnot" is opened with the visit. This famous engraver (1877-1956) originating in Beaujeu made gift d' tools and of many works to the museum: engravings on wood and copper.

The Circuit of the Peaks in Beaujolais wine is a course of 40 km carried out and arranged by the Community of Communes of the Area of Beaujeu.

It connects nine villages of the northern Beaujolais wine. On each site, points headlights, view-points, places of the information and the walk are arranged to accomodate you and divert you. Victor, the hero of the cartoon “ the Heritage, an adventure in Country Beaujolais wine”, borrows this same course. A data base with reading imperatively, front, during or after the visit!

Mixing ventures, suspense, inheritance, nature, anecdotes, large characters local and historical episodes, the account and the circuit lead you like an obvious result of a village with the other… and deliver the keys of the territory to you.

To discover the circuit, it is enough for you to follow the maroon beaconing of color “Circuit of the Peaks in Beaujolais wine: Follow Victor! ”.

• Departure:

Flowered In the buildings of the Tourist antenna, you will discover some famous episodes of the history of Flowered. Appointment with the Vault of the Madonna, who dominates the plain of the Saone.

• 2nd stage: Chénas

With the “Old man-Borough” of Chénas, a desk will deliver indices to you on the old story of the village. Do not hesitate to ask the inhabitants who will revive it to you. Since the Mountain of the Hunters, what a panorama! With you of reading the landscape thanks to the tables d' orientation. But will you elucidate the mystery which surrounds the Hut of the Hunters? A tower protecting the Castle from Julie or a tower of the telegraph Cap…

• 3rd stage: Juliénas

This is a path of 2 km which will lead you, through vines since the Storeroom of the Old Church jusqu' at the cellar of the Castle of the Wood of the Room where you will discover panels reproducing d' old postcards revealing the secrecy of Juliénas formerly and gestures related to the traditional culture of the vine.

• 4th stage: Julie

In the vault of tasting, located in the middle of Julie, close to the decorated place of a fresco, you will meet Estelle and Victor, the heroes of the cartoon… but attention, they are followed: one them spy…

• 5th stage: Emeringes

Close to the town hall, you will see a still, witness of the tradition of the home distillers remained long-lived in Emeringes. During its activity, people came on the place from the village to taste the “gnôle”. in a heat environment, where anecdotes and jokes fused…

• 6th stage: Vauxrenard On the place of the pretty village of Vauxrenard, close to l' Romance church, departure of the Way of Vine where the vineyard will deliver its secrecies to you.

• 7th stage:

Avenas Passed the collar of the Barrel d' Avenas, you will arrive in this village “of stones and of wood vêtu” builds around the Notre-Dame church, dated from XII century, sheltering a furnace bridge classified historic building. Since the church, follow the beaconing which will lead you to the forest walk: you will be able spade-to screw there, you to stroll while admiring the borough d' Avenas considering d' in top, and to even discover the forest and its inhabitants… natural or fairy-like!

• 8th stage: Chiroubles

On the road of the Barrel d' Avenas with Villié-Morgon (D18), discover the exceptional panorama of the Terrace of Chiroubles and follow the marked out course whose departure is located at the Country cottage of Tourist reception where the ten vintages of the Beaujolais wine will reveal you all their secrecies. In Chiroubles, in the center borough, Victor Pulliat, the saver of the vine against will phylloxéra, awaits you.

• 9th stage: Villié-Morgon

On the road leading you to Villié-Morgon, do not fail to stop you with the hamlet of St Joseph where you will discover a way of cross O how much strange. In the center of the village, go to the animalist park and the vault of tasting located at the Castle of Fontcrenne (XVII century), where the Vintage Morgon will deliver all its secrecies thanks to an olfactive play to you.