Discover Saint-Martin-En-Bresse

When planning a hotel stay in Saint-Martin-en-Bresse, you can explore a range of local themes: church art and commemorative history sit alongside forest and bocage landscapes, as well as walks by the Étang de Colnand. The sites and attractions each tell a different story. You can shape your trip around whether you are more interested in historic buildings, nature or an activity by the water.

Church and Art

The parish church of Saint-Martin-en-Bresse was rebuilt between 1834 and 1837. The Sentier de la Genévrière trail passes through the area’s heritage and highlights the 19th-century church, with its notable Neo-Gothic style and stained-glass windows. Neo-Gothic refers to a later revival of Gothic design; together with the stained glass, this style shapes the architectural character of the town.

The parish church houses two paintings with notably different creation dates. “Le Christ et la femme adultère” by André Menassier was created in 1602 and was designated as protected on 24 April 1961. “La charité de Saint Martin” was created in 1835; the work by Césaire Quillier, after Anton Van Dyck, was designated as protected on 23 August 1995. The creation dates and protection dates mark different stages in the history of each work.

Memorial Sites and Building History

The monument in La Madeleine commemorates the tragedy of 8 and 9 March 1944. It was built from the stones of houses that had been burned down. Its commemorative purpose and building material thus refer directly to the same historical event. The ruins of a Maison de lune are also still visible in the hamlet of La Madeleine. While the monument commemorates a precisely dated event, the ruins offer a different perspective on local history as a visible remnant of a building.

The surviving Chapelle de Bellefond dates from the 14th century and is built of red bricks. It is privately owned and not open to visitors. This distinction is important when planning your trip: the chapel is part of the area’s historic buildings, but it is not a place you can visit.

Forest, Bocage and Étang de Colnand

The Musée de la forêt presents the rich biodiversity of forests and the bocage landscape of the Bresse. Bocage refers to a cultivated landscape divided by hedgerows and fields; the term complements the forest theme with another perspective on the Bresse landscape. If you are more interested in nature and landscapes than in individual historic buildings, this museum’s focus offers a fitting point of interest.

The Étang de Colnand is open to everyone at all times and is suitable for short walks. This offers an activity by the water alongside the area’s cultural and historical attractions. Annual fishing permits for the Étang are available from the town hall. If you would like to fish, check the local registration details before your trip.

The Sentier de la Genévrière

The Sentier de la Genévrière is suitable for walkers, touring bikes (VTCs), mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes. Its focus is the heritage of Saint-Martin-en-Bresse: the route showcases the 19th-century church, with its Neo-Gothic style and stained-glass windows, as well as the former railway station, which no longer exists. It was once a transport hub between the Bresse and Chalon-sur-Saône. The route thus brings together architectural history and the historic role of transport, without presenting the former station as a place to visit today.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: La Roche-Vineuse, Chatenay, Saint-Sernin-Du-Plain, Saunières, Flacey-en-Bresse, Simandre, Bosjean, Saint-Point

Go to the regional travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.