Situated downstream of Tournus, flower-bedecked Mâcon proudly displays the smiling character of Burgundy’s southernmost town. As one crosses the venerable Saint-Laurent bridge separating Mâcon from the flatlands of the Bresse one is greeted by a beautiful, spacious riverside townscape punctuated by several church spires. The town’s historical centre includes such treasures as the Municipal Museum, quartered in an old Ursuline convent, the Romanesque remains of the ancient cathedral of Saint-Vincent and the dispensary of the Hôtel-Dieu. Alphonse de Lamartine, French poet and statesman, was born in Mâcon in 1790. Although he travelled extensively in his career as a diplomat and politician, he remained very attached to his home town and took a personal interest in the wine harvests on his estates in the Mâconnais. The town possesses a museum exclusively devoted to the life and work of Lamartine, as well as a statue and a large mosaic wall. But perhaps the true attraction of Mâcon lies in the charm of its squares and side streets, especially the Place aux Herbes which during the summer months echoes to the sounds of the daily vegetable and flower market under the windows of the Maison de Bois with its finely sculptured columns. The pleasant atmosphere is a foretaste of the nearby vineyards. The town also boasts a superbly equipped stretch of water on the Saône as well as a golf course. The Mâconnais Wine Centre (Maison Mâconnaise des Vins) is situated at the northern entrance to the town and is the point of departure for a journey to the Mâconnais vineyards.