Burgundy for Children

It would be easy to think Southern Burgundy is not the most attractive region for children, yet there are many things to see and do for children. Obviously, visiting historic places of interest and tasting wines are not the most exciting things to do for kids. However, Southern Burgundy houses a number of places to visit which will excite the children and will definitely make them enjoy their holidays. Below, we propose a selection of places of interest and activities specifically for kids.

Zoos and attraction parks

Of all the places of interest, Touroparc will probably be the most popular amongst children. This Zoo (with over 800 animals from all over the world, like tigers, giraffes and gorillas) is an attraction park at the same time. The attractions are mainly for the younger children. Touroparc offers different possibilities for eating on site as well, making it very suitable for a full day out with the whole family.

Besides Touroparc in the South of Burgundy, children will also enjoy the Parc des Combes at Le Creusot. This park was created on a former industrial railroad site and offers today over 70 ha of open air activities such as the water slide and the « Déval’Train ». Parc des Combes is als the backdrop for different events like the « Fête de l’Amérique » (Wild West event) in July and a Medieval festival in August.

Relive History

Visiting a castle is not always the most exciting thing for children. Unless of course the visit is proposed in a funny way to take the kids into history. This is done in several of the region’s castles, like Brançion castle. Here, children are disguised as either a knight or a princess, they then follow Véra, the white mouse who will help them discover this fortress of more than a thousand years old.

The Abbey of Ferté also proposes a disguised visit for children.

At Tournus, a story has been made up to get the children to appreciate history. The visit of the St Philibert Abbey has been organised as a police investigation around this story. A very original and funny way to discover this magnificent Romanesque abbey church. These visits are held at particular dates, please ask the Tourist Office for more details.

Discover the Wines

Wines and museums are other subjects normally not particularly interesting for children. It would be a big mistake though not taking your children to Plaisirs en Beaujolais (Europe’s biggest wine museum), situated in the South of the region. Something between a museum and a theme park, Plaisirs en Beaujolais invites you to discover the wines and the lives of wine growers in an original way through a puppet show, a 3D film or experiences with your senses. With a very professional and intelligent presentation, the visit makes sure every body will enjoy learning about wines, parents are even allowed to taste a good Beaujolais at the end of the visit. Opposite the wine museum, you will discover another interesting museum, about trains and their history. Both of the museums are actually situated in former railway stations.

In the land of the "gueules noires" (= black faces)

Burgundy is renowned all over the world for the wines and all the beautiful villages. However, one shouldn’t forget that Burgundy used to be a region where coal thrived, particularly around Le Creusot. In memory of this history, a theme park about the world of the coal mines has been created at Blanzy. Here, the whole family will discover the lives of the mine workers through an exciting visit (accompanied by a former mine worker) along 200 yards of galleries underground. An unforgettable journey through a fairly recent history…

Sports and swimming

Not far away from the campsite, you will find the Lac de Laives. This lake offers good swimming possibilities during summer days. Besides swimming, one can also rent pedal boats or go fishing. Ideal for a family day out. There is an entrance fee during certain times of the year.

Around our campsites, you will discover plenty of possibilities for sports activities of all kinds. Adventure trails in trees are very popular in our area these days. At Givry, just North of Chalon sur Saône, the park Acrogivry proposes monkey bridges, Tarzan lianas and telpher carriers around 6 circuits with different difficulties (depending on ages and size, starting at 3 years old), where as Acro’bath at Bergesserin offers 2 “Kids” circuits and a botanical treasure hunt.

Other Activities

Something new at Chalon sur Saône in 2008 is the Bowling, situated just opposite the Pont de Bourgogne bridge and campsite.

City walk

Nothing more boring for kids than visiting a city… To make sure kids are not bored at all, the city of Dijon has transformed a « boring » cultural visit into a kind of treasure hunt, called the Owl trail. This trail is marked out by owls on the ground and will make you discover the most beautiful buildings in Dijon through 22 stages. Whilst the parents admire half-timbered houses and typical Burgundy roofs in the city of the Dukes of Burgundy, the children will be following the owls to the next stage. A booklet is proposed by the Tourist Office to help you follow the Owl trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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