Sightseeing in Macon - what to see. Complete travel guide

There was a Celtic port city on the site of modern Macon in the 1st century BC. The Aedui people established it. Originally, the town had another name, Matisco. The settlement was developing actively at the beginning of our era. The first fortress appeared here in the 4th century. The bishopric of Macon was established a bit later, closer to the sixth century. According to historic data, the first bishop was appointed here in 538. His name was Saint Placidus. The church managed to keep control over Macon until the French Revolution.
The Macon Cathedral was the first big architectural landmark in Macon. This religious attraction is dedicated to Saint Vincent. As we already know, the history of Macon is full of tragic events. Numerous battles caused much damage to the old building. The local government didn’t have enough money to restore the cathedral, and so the first renovation works started only in the 40s of the 13th century. These works lasted until the end of the century. The cathedral changed its original look and got new gothic traits. One hundred years after the end of the restoration works, a north tower was added to the main cathedral building. It took another century to build the south tower.

A beautiful monastery lies not far from the cathedral. The Ursulines studied here in the past. The monastery was completed in the 70s of the 18th century. Initially, this was a place for girls from rich families. However, the status of the monastery changed after the French Revolution. The building became a prison at the end of the 90s of the 18th century, and then it was once again transformed into barracks. In the second half of the 20th century, it was decided to open the Ursulines Museum in the former monastery. In modern times, the three floors of the building host several exhibitions that familiarize visitors with the archaeological, ethnographical, and cultural heritage of Macon.

Tourists can get to Macon from the nearby French cities. The closest airport is situated in Lyon. This city has daily trains that go to the direction of the historical settlement in Burgundy. Moreover, there are daily high-speed trains from Paris to Macon. They deliver passengers to the final stop in just one hour and forty minutes. There is a more budget-friendly option with a change in Lyon, but the journey time is almost three hours in this case.
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City tours, excursions and tickets in Macon and surroundings
Reference information
Survived castles around Macon
♥ Castle 'Château de Le Parc' Saône-et-Loire, 3.4 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Castle 'Château de Leynes' Saône-et-Loire, 8.9 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Castle 'Château de La Salle' Saône-et-Loire, 11 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Castle 'Château de Pierreclos' Saône-et-Loire, 11.2 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Castle 'Château de Saint-Cyr' Rhône, 11.3 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Castle 'Château de Le Parc' Saône-et-Loire, 3.4 km from the center. On the map


♥ Castle 'Château de Leynes' Saône-et-Loire, 8.9 km from the center. On the map


♥ Castle 'Château de La Salle' Saône-et-Loire, 11 km from the center. On the map


♥ Castle 'Château de Pierreclos' Saône-et-Loire, 11.2 km from the center. On the map


♥ Castle 'Château de Saint-Cyr' Rhône, 11.3 km from the center. On the map


National and city parks around Macon
♥ Regional Nature Park 'Haut-Jura' , 88.2 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Regional Nature Park 'Pilat' , 103.2 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Regional Nature Park 'Morvan' , 121.1 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Regional Nature Park 'Livradois-Forez' , 124.4 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Regional Nature Park 'Chartreuse' , 131.8 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Regional Nature Park 'Haut-Jura' , 88.2 km from the center. On the map


♥ Regional Nature Park 'Pilat' , 103.2 km from the center. On the map


♥ Regional Nature Park 'Morvan' , 121.1 km from the center. On the map


♥ Regional Nature Park 'Livradois-Forez' , 124.4 km from the center. On the map


♥ Regional Nature Park 'Chartreuse' , 131.8 km from the center. On the map


Sights around Macon from our guide 'Extreme places on Earth'
Historic city of Lyon
From the series “The Most Interesting UNESCO Sites in France”
Check on the map:
Distance from Macon center - 60.7 km.
Gadagne Museum is located in a spectacular building of the 16th century. It presents to the visitors an interesting collection of historical exhibits. Major archaeological research was completed on the territory of the museum not so long ago. The exhibits discovered during this period are also kept in the walls of the old mansion today. Saint-Jean is considered the main street of the old town. Its length is about 500 meters. There are some of the oldest buildings in the historic district here. It is on this street that the spectacular Palais de Justice is located. The beautiful Saint-Jean Cathedral is the main decoration of the street. Its construction was started in the 12th century. It was repeatedly rebuilt until the 17th century. …
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In September 2022, the Sommerro hotel in Oslo will start operating in a carefully restored 1930s Art Deco building. This building is a true landmark of Frogner, a historic neighborhood of the Norwegian capital. A multi-million-dollar renovation carefully turned the largest preservation project in Norway into a modern hotel with 231 rooms, including 56 residences. Preferred will open five more hotels in 2022, namely, The Wall Street Hotel in New York, Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences on Singer Island (Florida, the US), TOA Hotel & Spa in Zanzibar, Pendry hotel in Washington, and Pendry Park City hotel in Utah.

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Search touristic sites on the map of Macon

