Built from 1890 to 1896, the 662-m long Briare aqueduct carries the Canal Latéral à la Loire over the Loire River. The longest steel canal aqueduct in France, this magnificent piece of civil engineering charms sailors and walkers alike with its waterway lined with pavements, elegant lamp posts and beautiful view of the Loire River and its banks.

At the heart of the Puisaye, in Yonne, an architectural gem can be found: Saint-Fargeau Castle, whose first stone was laid in the 10th century. Rebuilt in the 15th century, this majestic pink brick fortress was also remodelled in the 17th century, when Louis XIV's first cousin, Anne-­Marie-Louise d'Orléans, known as La Grande Mademoiselle, was forced to stay there. She was sentenced to exile in Saint-Fargeau from 1652 to 1657 following the events of the Fronde.

Now a listed Historic Monument, the castle is open to the public from April to mid-November and offers night-time tours by candlelight in the summer. On Friday and Saturday evenings from mid-July to mid-August, the imposing building flanked by large towers is enhanced by a fabulous sound and light show that tells the story of the site.

Through its elegant inner courtyard redesigned by the architect François Le Vau in the 17th century, its furnished apartments, guard room, chapel, toy loft and recreation of La Grande Mademoiselle's bedroom, visitors travel through ten centuries of history. The highlight of the visit, however, is probably its ancient attics, which form a most impressive whole!

For a nice way to round off this journey through time, enjoy a stroll in the wonderful English country garden-style park spanning 120 hectares. An ornamental lake, centuries-old trees and vintage steam locomotives are among the attractions you can admire on your walk.

A short walk from the castle, the Clock Tower is also worth a look. The only remnant of the first wall that surrounded Saint-Fargeau, this 15th-century belfry offers a beautiful view over the village rooftops and the castle.

Nicknamed the Fishermen's Castle, the charming castle of La Bussière, surrounded by water, houses a collection of works of art on freshwater fishing.

The visit of the place also allows to discover marvelous gardens suitable for daydreaming: French park designed by Le Nôtre; vegetable garden xviiie plants, fruits and vegetables (labeled "remarkable garden"); walk on the edge of the pond... As for children, they are not left with the circuit of cabins, two labyrinths and giant wooden games!

In a pleasant setting at the gateway to the Puisaye region in Burgundy, the village of Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses is home to a very fine structure built in the 17th century on the Briare Canal: an impressive staircase of locks, now a listed historic monument, which was in use from 1642 to 1880. Its construction required all the ingenuity of its designers, whose work enabled the canal to cross the hill and thus link the Loire to the Seine via the Loing Valley. For this technical feat, some 12,000 men were needed to dig the steps in the marshy terrain! From the top of the seven locks, 24 metres above ground, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the village. And from the bottom, admire the majesty of the site... At the end of July each year, the locks are illuminated at a superb pyrotechnic show that draws a big audience.

Apart from this unusual structure, so central to the local identity, you can also take a look at Rogny's bridges and footbridges over the Loing and the Briare Canal, stroll around its little harbour or visit its Romanesque church and washhouse. This charming spot has a water sports centre and no shortage of natural treasures, offering day-trippers a choice between a hike or a boat ride.

Pottery in Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye is a secular tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Several sites, open to the public, display this ancestral skill:

The Stoneware Museum, based in a Renaissance castle which is a listed Historic Monument, tells the story of pottery in Puisaye, through superb collections of utilitarian and decorative stoneware pieces from the Carriès school;

The Potters Memorial House has displays of traditional Puisaye pottery, telling the story of the life and work of the potters of yesteryear, and offers throwing demonstrations;

The Jacques-Jeanneney Ceramics Centre, a place for ceramicists to meet and exchange information, hosts exhibitions and courses.

As well as these places of discovery, you'll find artistic craft workshops whose diverse creations will delight ceramics lovers!

The old stoneware market on Easter weekend, the pottery market on Ascension weekend, and the contemporary stoneware market in August are highlights in the annual calendar of Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye.

Majestically overlooking the Loire River, the Château de Gien, made of brick and stone, is home to the International Hunting museum. This museum groups together collections dedicated to hunting and to animal art: paintings, ceramics, tapestries, trophies and hunting buttons are displayed there.

Famous for its earthenware tradition, Gien also has an earthenware factory museum, located in a former cellar, with magnificent china collections on display. This place also hosts temporary exhibitions.

Located in Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colombe, 9 kilometres from Saint-Fargeau in the heart of the verdant Puisaye, the Boutissaint Nature Park covers 400 hectares of wooded countryside. Its remarkable forest is made up of a wide variety of species, including beech, Douglas fir, spruce, chestnut and even centuries-old oak trees such as the St. Louis oak, which has a circumference of over four metres!

This huge forest area is home to as many animals as there are hectares, with almost 400 European animals roaming freely there. The reclusive inhabitants of the woods (hinds, roe deer, large stags...) play hide-and-seek with visitors, who always have a chance of spotting these amazing creatures. Large enclosures are home to wild boar, bison, fallow deer and mouflons, while pygmy goats and unusual hens can be admired in their own living areas. It's a joy to be immersed in this magical world, between animals and trees, clearings and marshes, where each season brings its own colour palette...

For more athletic visitors, there are ten or so treetop rope courses for varying levels of ability, so anyone wishing to can scale the heights. From little hanging bridges to 200-metre-long ziplines, there is something for all tastes and all ages! A pretty chapel graces the entrance to the estate, and fishing enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the lake.

In Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colombe, on the preserved lands of the Puisaye, Ratilly Castle reveals its magnificent medieval architecture in the heart of a peaceful and green environment. Built in the 13th century on the foundations of an 11th-century fortress, this remarkable building features majestic towers and superb ochre stone walls. The dry moat surrounding the castle, the guard room with its beautiful Renaissance fireplace and the magnificent dovecote with its wooden revolving ladder also contribute to the charm of the place.

It has a particularly rich history, from its medieval origins onwards. During the Wars of Religion, it sheltered the Huguenots, and in the 18th century, it welcomed the persecuted Jansenists. Today, the Friends of Ratilly association continues the work begun in 1951 by Jeanne and Norbert Pierlot. The pair started a pottery workshop here, with courses and cultural activities, which became one of the very first contemporary art centres in France. Its traditional Puisaye stoneware pottery studio, open to visitors, is renowned. A place of exchange and expression, the Ratilly Centre for Living Art hosts contemporary art exhibitions and courses every year, as well as original concerts and shows.

Based in the old Augustine' convent in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and its adjacent guard-house, the Loire Museum has a collection of old photographs, paintings, engravings, earthenware, models of boats, tools and everyday objects, telling the story of activities relating to the last great wild river in France, such as inland water shipping, sand-pulling and professional fishing. As well as this ethnographic collection is a remarkable collection of paintings by famous 20th-century artists, such as Chagall, Derain, Dufy, Utrillo, Vlaminck and Zingg.

At the heart of La Puisaye, this construction site is exceptional and unusual, to say the least. It is in open from March to November in the municipality of Treigny, on the site of a former sandstone quarry. Since 1997, quarry workers, stonecutters, masons, lumberjacks, carpenters, blacksmiths, tilers, basket-weavers, carters and rope-makers have been involved in building a castle fort in Burgundy, using medieval techniques and local raw materials : sand, stone, clay, earth and wood from the Guédelon Forest. This Herculean construction project is due to be completed in 25 years' time !

As well as self-guided tours, where you can watch the labourers working in period costume, there are guided tours along with children's workshops. Please note, the Guédelon construction site is not open all year, so check the dates before planning your trip to this unusual and fascinating place !

Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, birthplace of the famous novelist Colette, also has many other attractions to hold visitors' attention! Not far from there, the Puisaye Cyclorail route and the Pays de Puisaye-Forterre sightseeing train offer fun ways to discover the charm of the surrounding area.

La Poèterie, a bohemian venue with industrial architecture, is home to an artists' village offering café culture, concerts, exhibitions, shows and various workshops.

In the centre of the village is a heritage museum dedicated to the art of blacksmithing. In the surrounding area, there are several interesting buildings to explore, including the 11th-century keep, ovoid in shape and also known as the Saracen tower, three fortified enclosures, pretty houses and a church dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, remarkable for having no bell tower.

On a street in the town centre, the house where Colette was born was restored and opened to the public in 2016. The museum devoted to her has been based at Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye Castle since 1995, not far from her former home. In its inventive exhibitions, it charts her life and works, with photos, belongings and a film documenting her childhood and career. The living room and bedroom of her flat in the Palais-Royal have been reconstructed with her furniture, and many extracts from her works can be found in the imaginary library. After visiting these two cultural sites dedicated to the illustrious writer, a stroll along the poetic Colette trail is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of her stories about her native land.

The 35-hectare National Arboretum of Barres in Nogent-sur-Vernisson is home to more than 2,500 species of trees and shrubs from all five continents of the globe. Three discovery footpaths take visitors on a tour of these remarkable collections.

At the heart of the Puisaye, Toucy delights lovers of old buildings as well as admirers of authentic countryside. Picturesque half-timbered houses line the narrow streets of the lower town and upper town. The town has many flourishing art galleries, and Galerie 14 exhibits work by international artists. Located in a former cycle factory, the Atelier Bernasse workshop is a treat for admirers of beautiful machines, with its collections of engines and vintage vehicles.

The surprising Church of St. Peter in Toucy, backing onto the 12th-century fortifications, overlooks the town. The chevet of this sandstone fortress is flanked by two towers, linked by a wall walk, and the ramparts and pretty façades of the traditional houses make for an appealing setting.

There is an area dedicated to Pierre Larousse at the library. This former teacher and publisher of the famous dictionary was born and grew up in Toucy.

The area around the town of Toucy is ideal for a scenic outing, and the 9-kilometre journey through the hedgerows and forests on board the Pays de Puisaye-Forterre sightseeing train is sure to delight children and adults alike! And every year in July, the unmissable Toucy Jazz Festival enchants music-lovers with its concerts by talented artists.

On the left bank of the Loire River, the hilltop old town of Sancerre dominates the Sancerre region and its pretty hills covered in vines. Famous for its vineyards, Sancerre also boasts a medieval old town with its 15th-century Fiefs tower, period houses, and an early 16th-century belfry.

A genuine medieval fortress, complete with towers, keep, rampart walk and moats, the Château de Sully-sur-Loire built in the 14th century, is the former residence of the dukes of Sully. The interior has paintings and tapestries on display, as well as a magnificent roof structure dating from the 14th century.

Visitors can also walk around the pleasant tree-lined park surrounding the château.

Every third weekend in May, the château and park host a medieval festival called 'Les Heures Médiévales'.

Located in the Yonne region of Burgundy, the Church of St. Germanus in La Ferté-Loupière, built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style before being altered several times over the years, contains some magnificent, well-preserved mural paintings. These are not frescoes but paintings on dry plaster. Its Danse Macabre, produced in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, is one of only eight known to exist in France and is considered one of the most prestigious in Europe! Biblical scenes such as the Tale of the Three Living and the Three Dead, St. Michael slaying the dragon and the Virgin of the Annunciation can also be seen here.

The Danse Macabre at La Ferté-Loupière is an exceptional pictorial ensemble, spanning 25 metres in length and comprising 42 figures representing all strata of the social hierarchy. Because these burlesque scenes were rather impertinent, the ecclesiastical community demanded that the Danse be covered with whitewash, an initiative that ended up saving the work for posterity. It was rediscovered in 1910, and the church was listed as a Historic Monument the following year.

After visiting, be sure to take a walk in the priory garden by the church. Embellished with colourful perennials and aromatic plants, this haven of peace is an inviting place to stroll and meditate...

This charming spot in Burgundy is named after the springs of the Druyes, which are abundant in the municipality's territory. In the late 12th century, a castle fort was built by the Counts of Nevers on a hill overlooking the valley. Now a listed Historic Monument, the medieval fortress is the pride of this village, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Yonne! At the entrance to this former prince's palace, you are greeted by an imposing 14th-century postern, from the top of which the view is breathtaking and includes the Puisaye and the borders of the Morvan. Accessible via a discovery trail or a guided tour, the remains of Druyes Castle will take you back in time to discover a beautiful medieval complex, built to a square plan and made up of curtain walls, towers and a Romanesque gallery with arches and geminated bays, evidence of the presence of the seigneurial dwelling at one time.

At the foot of the castle, picturesque lanes, typical houses, a 12th-century Romanesque church and a 19th-century washhouse create a restful scene in an old village that's a pleasure to wander around. Not far from the church, don't miss a visit to the site of the Druyes springs, an idyllic and charming place that will delight children and adults alike with its pond surrounded by greenery, lawns to relax on and a children's play area. Meanwhile, thrill-seekers will want to head to the old railway viaduct for a spot of bungee jumping!

Surrounded by ramparts, the medieval town of La Charité-sur-Loire, standing by the Loire river, is famous for its Clunisian priory. Founded in 1059, this Benedictine monastery, part of the Order of Cluny, is a remarkable example of Burgundian Romanesque art, along with its church, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Way of St. James.

Many relics still remain from its past as a major monastic town: discover the Priory Church of Notre-Dame, a gem of Clunisian architecture from the 11th and 12th centuries, the Sainte-Croix bell tower, the convent buildings - chapter house, 18th-century cloister, monks' cellar, prior's lodge - as well as the Benedictines' garden, where the ruins of the old Church of Saint-Laurent are preserved.

Around the priory, enjoy a walk to admire the attractions of the historical quarter, such as the picturesque side streets, passages and flights of steps, medieval ramparts, and various shops devoted to the world of books. Bookshops, book dealers, calligraphers, illuminators and binders make La Charité-sur-Loire a real book town... An ideal destination for lovers of reading and collectors of old publications!

A number of book-related events take place every year in the town, including the festival of words in June, the old book and document fair in July, book night in August, and a book market on the third Sunday of each month between October and March.

A few kilometres east of La Charité-sur-Loire lies the verdant Bertranges Forest, a vast oak wood that's ideal for walking and relaxation...

The town of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire is renowned for its Benedictine abbey: the Fleury abbey, founded in the 7th century. Its basilica constitutes a remarkable example of Romanesque art. The bell tower-porch contains magnificent carved capitals that will delight fans of religious architecture. The church's Romanesque choir is also stunning. The crypt dating from the 11th century contains the relics of Saint-Benoît.

Monday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Tuesday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Wednesday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Thursday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Friday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Saturday: 09:30 AM – 11:30 AM, 03:00 PM – 05:30 PM
Sunday: 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM, 12:15 AM – 01:00 PM, 03:30 PM – 05:30 PM

In Valravillon, Yonne, the Laduz Museum of Folk Art is a true place of remembrance and heritage preservation that documents the daily life of rural civilisation. Through their eclectic collections, representing 50 years of research and collecting, the painter Raymond Humbert and his wife Jacqueline have taken a nostalgic and poetic look at life in the countryside before 1914.

Popular creativity is exemplified by thousands of objects, works of art and sculptures, more or less unusual, representing the diverse and varied trades of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The wonderful antique toy room will be of interest to all ages. Children will be wide-eyed in front of the countless wooden, metal and cardboard toys, arranged by theme, and their grandparents will be moved by the memories they bring back.

Laduz Museum also hosts exhibitions of work by contemporary artists on the theme of folk art and crafts using simple and modest materials. Alongside this, it offers creative workshops for children using different materials such as wood, stone, weaving fibres and plants.