Louhans distance 20km Market: Monday morning
Louhans, the idyllic town of 6000 inhabitants with its Grande-Rue and 157 arcades.
You will enjoy Louhans on any given day. With around 100 shops from 18 different sectors and around 40 restaurants, there's always something going on.
Strolling under the beautiful arcades and admiring the shop windows puts you in a good mood.
I recommend you to enjoy the Grande-Rue one evening and afterwards to let yourself be spoilt in one of the restaurants.
The market in Louhans is famous. This market is one of the largest and most popular of its kind in France and has been held since 1269.
The rich offer is immeasurable, always on Monday morning you will find a colourful cross-section of the culinary products of Burgundy:
Apples, pears, honey, grapes, tomatoes in all varieties, cheese from the region, ham, organic meat and offal from Charolais cattle, air-dried sausages.
From the water they get fish, mussels, crayfish, plus regional wines and cassis liqueur - but also knives, household goods, embroidery, clothes and bags.
You absolutely must leave the main street, the Grande-Rue with its 157 arcades, and visit the poultry market "Marché à la Volaille".
It is located a little off the beaten track between the railway line and the roundabout near the water.
The presentation of live animals is unusual here: Geese, pigeons, ducks, birds, young chicks, and the here uncrowned queen of French poultry and at the same time the "chicken of kings",
the famous, ever-present Bressehuhn.
Other animals such as pigs, guinea pigs, rabbits etc. are also on offer in all sizes and colours.
A short panning shot to the famous bressehuhn:
It tastes particularly good - and its appearance is special - like the colours of the French national flag: blue the feet, white the plumage, red the comb.
Don't buy any Bressehuhn without the blue-white-red AOC seal of quality, because the chicken of kings enjoys a special status with precisely defined rearing rules.
Gourmets travel long distances to get hold of an original Bressehuhn for their home kitchen.
But back to the market:
My tip: It's better to come a little earlier - after 11 a.m. the market slowly loses its charm.
Every Monday, the entire city is paralysed for a morning, and every street in the old town sells for all it's worth. It is better to arrive without a car - let yourself be chauffeured.
Take your time, enjoy a coffee and watch the market hustle and bustle.
Around noon, the scent of roasted buffalo chickens wafts over the square.
Here, they come straight from the producer onto the grill, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
French website of the city: www.louhans-chateaurenaud.fr
Information on the region and France as a travel destination: www.france.fr