Chablis, Vézelay and the Morvan
White wine villages, two of France’s finest abbeys and the lakes and forests of the Morvan, ending in Roman Autun.
- Distance
- 237 km (147 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 16 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 7
- Countries
- France
- Updated
- September 2, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 237 km (147 mi) with 7 stops, from Auxerre to Autun. About 3 h 16 min of driving in total.
Route description
From Auxerre, with its riverside abbey and cathedral, the D965 leads east to Chablis, a small town entirely devoted to its dry Chardonnay. Cross the vineyards to Noyers, a walled village of timber-framed houses in a loop of the Serein river.
Continue east to Fontenay Abbey, hidden in a wooded valley near Montbard, the most complete Cistercian monastery in France. Then turn back south-west across farmland to Vézelay, where the basilica on the hilltop marks a starting point of the Way of St James.
South of Avallon the road climbs into the Morvan, a regional park of granite, forest and reservoirs. The Lac des Settons has beaches and campsites, and small roads lead on through the woods to Autun, with its Roman gates and theatre and a cathedral carved by Gislebertus.
Roads in the Morvan are narrow but quiet. Vézelay’s hill is best reached early in the morning, and in autumn the forests and the Chablis harvest make this a fine off-season trip.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Auxerre
France - 222 km
Chablis
France - 324 km
Noyers
France - 438 km
Fontenay Abbey
HistoryMarmagne, FranceThe best preserved early Cistercian abbey in France, founded in 1118 in a quiet wooded valley. The bare church, cloister and water-powered forge are all intact.
- 565 km
Vézelay Basilica
HistoryVézelay, FranceA Romanesque basilica on a hilltop, a starting point of the Way of St James, with a carved tympanum and light-filled nave. Park at the bottom and walk up the single main street.
- 648 km
Lac des Settons
NatureMontsauche-les-Settons, FranceA 19th-century reservoir in the forests of the Morvan, with beaches, a lakeside path and campsites. A cool, green stop on a hot summer day.
- 740 km
Autun
France
