Neighborhood highlights
Located in the heart of the Puisaye region, in the department of Yonne in Burgundy, 180 km south of Paris, the historic village of Saint Sauveur en Puisaye, home to the writer Colette, offers all types of shops (health centre, supermarket, grocery store, tourist office, bakery, hairdresser, wine merchant, art galleries, newsstand, restaurants, florist, antiques shop, garden supplies), as well as the Colette museum (located in the village castle, from the sixteenth century) and the birthplace of the famous novelist (classified as a historical monument since 2011, it offers a journey back in time, to meet the youth of the writer of "Claudine"). A keep dating from the 11th century, called "Saracen tower", and listed as a historical monument since 1996, overlooks the city. The 12th century Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, built of ferruginous sandstone, is the pride of the village. City of character steeped in history, Saint Sauveur is also a lively village with a rich and varied cultural and artistic activity. Indeed, it hosts each year the "International Festival of Women Writings", the "Nights of St Sauveur" (festival of contemporary music in the castle park), the musical festival "Comme ça me chante", the "Estivales de Puisaye" (classical music festival), the "annual potters' fair", the "30 de January" craft fair, the art exhibition "Art in courtyards and gardens" and the "Fête de l'art" (exhibition of art and concerts at the "Poèterie" in the old brickyard of the village, alternative place occupied by artists in activity). Its typical Wednesday morning market offers a rich selection of regional and artisanal products.
The region of Puisaye offers a multitude of touristic and cultural activities, such as the wonderful village of Vézelay (World Heritage Site since 1979, especially for its fabulous basilica, masterpiece of Romanesque art), the charming medieval town of Auxerre, the spectacular medieval site of Guédelon, the majestic St Fargeau castle (and its famous annual historical show), but also the castle of Druyes-Les-Belles-Fontaines (and its medieval village with fortifications dating from the 11th century), the pyrotechnic show of Rogny les Sept Ecluses, the underground quarries of Aubigny, Ratilly Castle (and its pottery workshop), the pottery village of Saint Amand en Puisaye (and its 16th century castle housing a pottery Museum), the convent of Treigny (and its contemporary ceramics exhibitions), the village of Toucy (and its jazz festival) and the art brut museum of La Fabuloserie, amongst others.
La Puisaye is also a centre of gastronomy thanks to its proximity to many vineyards (Sancerre, Irancy, Chablis, Saint Bris), its selection of exceptional gastronomic restaurants (offering traditional dishes such as snails, bœuf Bourguignon, coq au vin or gougères) and its typical markets offering a rich selection of local cheeses and other local products (in particular that of Toucy, elected "most beautiful market of Burgundy" in 2018 and nominated "most beautiful market of France" in 2019).
You and your children will be delighted to visit the educational farms of the region (St Fargeau castle farm, Vanneau mill farm) where you can rub shoulders with farm animals and learn more about peasant life in past centuries. You can also discover the Puisaye aboard the Transpoyaudin, a tourist train that surveys the abandoned railway lines between Moutiers and Villiers-Saint-Benoît, via Toucy. In summer, many antique fairs and garage sales take place every weekend in different surrounding villages.
But Puisaye is above all a wonderful green setting for nature lovers and sports activities. Its green hills provide an ideal setting for walking, mountain biking or horseback riding. Its many hiking trails will make you discover a protected and wooded countryside, where you will cross a lot of wild animals. The Bourdon Lake offers a nautical base with many activities (paddle, canoeing, rowing, windsurfing), as well as a supervised beach where you can swim or rent a pedal boat. You will also be able to fish there, just like at the neighbouring pond of Moutiers. Around the lake, there are also many sports activities available such as horse riding, tree climbing (at the animal park of Boutissaint), bungee jumping, air ballooning, golf, tennis, and even rail cycling on the old railway. Don’t wait any longer, Puisaye awaits you!
