Marcilly-lès-Buxy is a commune located in the Saône-et-Loire department in Bourgogne, eastern France.
Saône-et-Loire is part of the larger historical area of Burgundy, which is renowned for its vineyards and rich history, making for the most scenic backdrop to the quaint destination.
After visiting the tiny countryside district, which has approximately 680 inhabitants, in 2018, not a summer has gone by where I haven’t considered going back.
Set in a landscape complete with rolling hills, vineyards, and agricultural land, the remote spot ticked all the boxes for a relaxing getaway thanks to its quaintness and unique charm, which I’ve not stumbled across anywhere since.
We stayed near Le Martrat in a farmhouse-style villa, complete with a small patch of green land around it and a pool that overlooked nearby vineyards, plus cows roaming in the distance.
What to do in Burgundy
A trip to this idyllic wine region is not complete without a visit to one of the vineyards, we chose Château de Chamirey. Run by the Devillard family, who also run Domaine des Perdrix in Nuits-Saint-Georges, La Ferté in Givry, Domaine de la Garenne, in Mâconnais and Domaine Rolet, in Jura, the estate looked beautiful in the late afternoon light.
Booking isn’t essential, just allow plenty of time to get there (it’s a 24-minute drive north of Marcilly-lès-Buxy), and pay on arrival. Included is a lengthy tour of the estate, private wine tasting as a group for one hour, plus a gorgeous area to sit and drink afterwards.
There are plenty of other wineries in the area, including Domaine Mazille and Domaine Maxime Cottenceau, but the beautiful architecture in Chamirey is what makes it well worth a visit.
Elsewhere in the area is a beautiful trio of lakes known as Lac de Laives.
The lakes are also a short drive, just 23 minutes from Marcilly-lès-Buxy, and make for the perfect ‘beach day’ alternative while staying in the countryside.
Complete with toilets and a restaurant, Lac de Laives is ideal for swimming and enjoying pedal boats, plus there are two lakes reserved exclusively for fishing.
This tucked-away spot is complete with a campsite just a stone’s throw away from the lakes, but you wouldn’t guess as the whole area still felt peaceful and remote. There were more people here than in Marcilly-lès-Buxy though this was expected given its location and status as one of few lakes in the area.
We enjoyed the lakeside area so much, that we visited three times in just one week.