Saillenard combines a specific waterside location with rural scenery and a multifaceted local history. At Étang Chanceveau, walkers can stroll around the pond and learn about its fauna and flora from information boards. There are also various activities: fishing requires specific permits, and a 2025 family activity guide lists a zip line at the pond. The commune also has 370 hectares of communal woodland, while the history of its buildings offers further perspectives on the area.
Étang Chanceveau: Walking, Fishing and a Zip Line
Étang Chanceveau is a 6-hectare pond in the commune of Saillenard and belongs to the commune. Walkers can stroll around it, and information boards provide details about the local fauna and flora. The walk thus combines exercise by the water with information about nature. This combination is particularly relevant for travelers who would like to pair a walk with information about fauna and flora.
Fishing requires specific permits. It is permitted for members of an authorized AAPPMA in Saône-et-Loire, as well as for anglers with a fishing permit and one of the CHI (Club Halieutique Interdépartemental), EHGO (Entente Halieutique du Grand Ouest) or URNE (Union Régionale Nord Est) stamps. Check that you have the required fishing permit and are aware of the applicable regulations before your visit. This makes planning a fishing trip different in practice from taking a walk: fishing requires the permits listed above.
A zip line at the pond is listed in a 2025 family activity guide. If you would like to plan this activity, check in advance whether it is currently operating.
Rural Bresse and Communal Woodland
Saillenard is a rural commune in the Bresse region and has 370 hectares of communal woodland. Together with the 6 hectares of Étang Chanceveau, these figures refer to two different areas: the pond is a single named body of water, while the woodland figure gives the area of the communal woodland. The two figures complement each other: six hectares is the size of the pond, and 370 hectares is the area of the communal woodland.
Saint-Pierre and the Église de paille
Construction of the new church of Saint-Pierre in Saillenard began in 1861 and was completed in 1864; it faces in the opposite direction to the previous church. The local history thus links a clearly dated new building with a specific relationship to its predecessor.
A different building story lies behind the makeshift Église de paille. It was built in the town hall courtyard from pine boards covered with straw and served as a place of worship for about ten years. Here, the focus is on a different construction method and its temporary use.
Saillenard is also the birthplace of Jean-Maire Putigny. He fought at Austerlitz, in Russia, and in the final Belgian campaign of 1815. For travelers interested in military history as well as buildings, this biographical connection offers another way to explore the area’s history.
Discover more destinations: Moroges, Saint-Vincent-En-Bresse, Sailly, Saint-Martin-En-Bresse, Pruzilly, Saint-Didier-en-Brionnais, Vareilles, Boyer.
For the regional travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.
