Mâcon turns its face to the Saône, and the river is the reason to stop. The town stretches along the west bank of the slow, wide river, with quays lined with plane trees, a long stone bridge to the village of Saint-Laurent-sur-Saône on the opposite bank, and terraces where you can eat and watch the barges. It is a town of about thirty-five thousand people, the capital of the Mâconnais wine country, and it has a pleasant, easy-going air that suits a food stop.
The poet Alphonse de Lamartine was born in Mâcon in 1790, and the town celebrates him with a statue and a quay bearing his name, since he was the great Romantic voice of French poetry, famous for his lyrical verses about nature and love. On the other side of the river, the Bresse begins, the country of the famous chickens, and the food on this bank takes the best of both regions. A plate of poulet de Bresse in cream, with a glass of white Mâcon or the more famous Pouilly-Fuissé, is the thing to order.
The wines of the Mâconnais are mostly chardonnay, grown on limestone slopes to the west, with a freshness and minerality that suit river fish, goat's cheese and local ham. Not far from town, the great rock of Solutré rises over the vineyards, a limestone cliff that gave its name to a prehistoric culture, and a ride to its foot is a fine afternoon's excursion. The old story is that, for thousands of years, hunters drove wild horses over the cliff, though the details are debated.
The riding around Mâcon is a pleasant mix of river road and vineyard lane. The surface is generally good, traffic is moderate, and the best moment is early morning when mist lies on the Saône and the light turns soft and golden. In summer, the quays are busy with walkers and cyclists, so ride slowly.
Fuel is easy at the edge of town, with several stations near the bridges, and parking along the quays is possible but busy at midday. Aim for a table by the water, order the plat du jour and let the river do the rest.