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L'Yonne
Suitability for houseboating *****

The Yonne, Burgundy
A French ruler, so one says, thought of the Charente to be the most beautiful river of France. He might be right, but then follows, for me, immediately the Yonne. It lies much more to the north. Its surroundings and the river itself are very abundant. A small brook, Rigolle d’Yonne, leaves the reservoir at Pannesière-Chaumard in the Morvan. Southerly of Cobigny it meets the Canal du Nivernais – or the other way round – and is accompanying it to Auxerre. That is where it gets navigable and relieves the canal. At kilometre 22 is the entry of the Canal du Bourgogne and after a short and amusing 107 kms it already flows into the Seine. One has to get used to the oval and concave locks on its lower course. It’s a pity that just when you get to like them, you are already on the Seine, where the very huge ones are waiting … .
Advantage: A river to enjoy, don’t just plan the one and a half days to pass by, stay a bit longer!
Disadvantage: The already mentioned locks on the lower course.
Very suitable for families.

Tourism
Here I think, the way is the aim. The river and the surrounding is so beautiful, one would like to go on and on … . This would be a mistake. You should visit the charming town of Joigny and perhaps even go to “Cote St. Jacques” for a meal, even though it has **Michelin-Stars only at the moment. Also Villeneuve sur Yonne, Sens and Pont sur Yonne are inviting for a stop. This can’t be said of Monterau.

Food and Drinks
To start with, the wine of this region is the Chablis! A wine, that is excellent for cooking as well. The valley of the Yonne is known for its delicious fish specialities but it can also be mussels or oysters. Not to forget is the real speciality, “Andouillettes de Chablis”, it can of course only be enjoyed with Chablis.

Link to maps, guides and books of this region:

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