Bourgogne tourisme

Yonne
In the mood for naturewalks
Stop for a moment on the grass to watch the
butterflies dancing. Take some time to admire all
these flowers, and as other sounds fade away,
listen to the birds singing in the trees.
Just next to the
Saint-Etienne
Cathedral, in the
inner courtyard
marked out by
the Chapelle de
l'Archevêque and
the Orangerie,
the Henri II wing
of the Palais des
Archevêques and the library, the private gardens
of the Archevêché - the bishop's garden and
kitchen garden - have been restored from plans
drawn up by the Cardinal de la Favre in the 19 th
century. The gardens are a hybrid design of
Renaissance and 18 th century styles with
flowering borders and formal lawns. The
changes in themes throughout the seasons -
medicinal plants, ornamental vegetables,
orangerie plants and old roses - set the pace of
life in these new gardens.
www.office-de-tourisme-sens.com
A vast 10 ha islet
of greenery, this
park prefigures
the green belt
surrounding the
town of Sens.
Originally
designed as a
natural rural and
leisure space,
the park boasts a succession of very different
themed areas including an arboretum, animal
© Service parcs, jardins et espaces verts - Ville de Sens
Tropical plant collection in Sens © S. Wahl
enclosures, a rose garden, undergrowth plants,
a scented walkway, a play area and a fernery. In
the 600 m² of glasshouses for tropical plant
collections, visitors can see orchids, carnivorous
plants, cacti, bromeliads and other plants from
hot and faraway countries. The pond holding an
astonishing Victoria Cruziana, a giant aquatic
plant that should not be missed.
www.office-de-tourisme-sens.com
Expert gardener, Jean Ravisé has reconstructed
a delightful jardin de curé
(curate’s garden) in the former
garden of the priory. Flowers
mix in with vegetables, and
dozens of tiny and unusual
spaces make for a very
rewarding visit. Winner of the
Prix Regional du Patrimoine
(Parks and Gardens category) in
2006.
This top native French wildlife park, a rare place,
is in the heart of the Puisaye
area. In 400 ha of forest,
beech and oak wood, fields,
lakes and pure springs,
dozens of fallow deer - does
and stags - live freely in
their natural environment.
There are also enclosures
with wild boar, bison and
mouflons. Altogether there are almost 400
animals. A forest festival, the Fête de la
forêt sauvage, is held on the 15 th of
August and in autumn, the rutting
season, provides some unmissable
sights. www.boutissaint.com
Fête de la forêt sauvage © J. Kélagopian
Church of St-Germain© J. Ravisé
Out of ordinary -
My favourites
1 - 2, quai de la République - BP 30217 - 89003 Auxerre Cedex
Tél. 03 86 72 92 03 - Fax 03 86 72 92 09
presse@tourisme-yonne.com - www.tourisme-yonne.com/pro