Pouilly-En-Auxois is best discovered through the Canal de Bourgogne: the Port de Pouilly-en-Auxois is now used as a marina, and the illuminated Voûte de Pouilly runs beneath the town. A two-hour boat trip, a cycling route through the town and a creative walk around the harbor offer different perspectives on the canal.
Harbor and Canal de Bourgogne
The Port de Pouilly-en-Auxois dates from the second quarter of the 19th century and is dated to 1830; today it is used as a marina. This brings together a precise historical context and a present-day function in one place. If you are interested in the history of waterways, the harbor offers a tangible starting point before you shift your perspective underground or onto the water.
The Voûte de Pouilly is an illuminated underground canal section measuring 3,333 meters beneath Pouilly-En-Auxois. At just over 3.3 kilometers long, it gives a concrete sense of the scale of this structure. Billebaude 3.333 offers a two-hour trip on the Canal de Bourgogne through the illuminated Voûte. The boat and tunnel are directly connected as part of this experience: the trip does not just take place on the canal in general, but passes through the underground section. The two-hour duration gives you a clear timeframe for planning your day.
Cultural history and tradition
The statue of Notre-Dame Trouvée with the infant Jesus dates from the late 12th or early 13th century. It is associated with the tradition of its miraculous discovery in the ruins of a chapel fire and with the pilgrimage tradition. The Romanesque statue was stolen in 1980. The Chapelle Notre-Dame-Trouvée is a pilgrimage chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is said to stand on the site of an earlier building, erected in 1061 according to Abbé Courtépée. The Halle du Toueur marks a different point in time: the contemporary building by Shigeru Ban houses an electric river tug dating from 1893. The story of the area's cultural heritage thus spans the medieval tradition and contemporary architecture.
By bike or on foot
The Véloroute du canal de Bourgogne passes through Pouilly-En-Auxois, offering a different way to experience the canal than by boat. A creative trail also runs around the harbor, combining a short walk with drawing and explanations about the canal. The route is 3.5 kilometers long. The difference is not just the mode of transport: the Véloroute passes through the town, while the harbor trail is designed as a walk with creative activities.
Planning your trip
When planning your stay, these figures can help you compare your options: the boat trip is two hours long, and the harbor trail is 3.5 kilometers. This gives you a set duration for one experience and a set distance for the other. Check the available trip times in advance and choose the option that best fits your day's plans. When looking for hotels in Pouilly-En-Auxois, you can decide on your preferred focus first.
Discover more destinations: Jours-Lès-Baigneux, Recey-sur-Ource, Rouvray, Fontaine-Lès-Dijon, Villers-La-Faye, Gilly-Lès-Cîteaux, Marcheseuil, Francheville.
Back to the regional travel overview: Cote-Dor.
