The best MTB trails around Jalogny

Beautiful building that could have dethroned Rome.

The Tour des Fromages is a preserved defensive tower from the 11th century, which originally belonged to the ramparts of the powerful Abbey of Cluny. In the Middle Ages, the structure was still called Tour des Fèves (Bean Tower), as supplies were stored there. It got its current, curious name in the 19th century because a merchant used the tower to dry her homemade cheeses. Today, the tower is a popular attraction. Visitors can climb the 120 steps to the top. From up there, you have a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view over the entire medieval monastic city and the surrounding Burgundy landscape. Access to the tower is directly through the local Cluny tourist office.

Magnificent view, which is worth the climb. Unfortunately, the refreshment stop was closed.

The abbey was founded in 910 by Duke William I of Aquitaine. In the Middle Ages, Cluny was the starting point of a huge monastic reform (the "Cluniac Reforms"). At its peak in the 11th and 12th centuries, around 1,500 monasteries and over 20,000 monks throughout Europe were under its jurisdiction. The main church of the abbey (Cluny III or Major Ecclesia), over 187 meters long, was the largest house of worship in Christendom until St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was built. During the French Revolution, the monastery was closed. Under Napoleon's rule, the gigantic church was almost completely demolished and used as a quarry. Today, only about 8% of the original vast complex remains.

The historic Chapelle Saint-Laurent is located in the small hamlet of Collonges, which belongs to the municipality of Lournand. The origins of the chapel date back a long time and are estimated to be from before the year 900. For centuries, it was closely linked to the famous Abbey of Cluny, located only about 7 kilometers away. The building is located directly on the well-known long-distance hiking trail GR 76. For generations, it has served as a historic stopping point for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago and the Way of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Mont Saint-Romain is a 579-meter-high mountain in the Mâconnais mountains above the picturesque valley of Blanot. From the summit, you have a comprehensive 360-degree view. To the west, you look out over the hills of Clunisois, and to the east, over the Saône valley. In very clear weather, the view extends to the Alps and Mont Blanc. On the roof of the local Auberge, there is a distinctive, historic orientation table, which was erected in 1948 by the Touring-Club de France. Directly at the viewpoint, a small Auberge (mountain inn) with an outdoor terrace invites you to stop for a break.

The historic town of Cluny, located in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, can best be admired from the viewing platform of the famous Cheese Tower (Tour des Fromages), from which you can enjoy a striking 360-degree view over the historic rooftops and the gentle, green hills of Southern Burgundy. Cluny is world-renowned for its Benedictine abbey, founded in 910 AD. In the High Middle Ages, the abbey was the starting point of the pioneering Cluniac reform movement and developed into the head of a Europe-wide monastic order with over 1,200 monasteries.

The large work of art on the narrow building facade directly above the fountain is a monumental, historical sundial (cadran solaire). The faded, artistic lines and Roman numerals show the classic grid system of an old vertical sundial, which the townspeople could use to read the time of day. Such large astronomical mural paintings were widespread in the Burgundy region as well as on the outbuildings of the powerful abbey, in order to synchronize the monastic and urban daily routine.