Camping Le Petit Port

Heading out into the surrounding countryside, your first stop should probably be the Rocks of Saussois (five minutes' drive), a popular climbing spot that has excellent views from both the base and the top, 50 metres up. Also close by are the 15th-century Château de Faulin (five minutes), and the chance to step further back into the past among the dinosaurs of Cardoland (15 minutes) or the ancient remnants at the Fontaines Salées archaeological site. Vézelay (20 minutes) has its fair share of historic attractions as well – chief among them the Sainte-Madeleine Basilica, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Musée Zervos, Musée de l'Oeuvre Viollet-le-Duc and La Maison du Visiteur are also worth visiting while you're wandering through the town's pretty streets, and there are several wineries on the edges of town. Heading north instead, you may like to stop at the Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure (25 minutes) to see what lies beneath the surface of this area, or continue on to Auxerre (40 minutes) to explore the traditional Burgundian architecture, visit the Saint Germanus Abbey and sip a glass of local wine in a riverside café.