In Romanèche-Thorins, attractions range from wildlife and water activities to vineyards, craftsmanship and history. When planning, it helps to decide first what you would like to focus on: should your visit be mainly about Touroparc.Zoo, a route through the wine country, wine tastings or cultural discoveries? These different themes give your stay different accents, without requiring a fixed itinerary.
Zoo and water area
Touroparc.Zoo is home to 700 animals from 140 species in a green, 12-hectare setting. It offers gentle, family-friendly attractions. A dedicated water area adds three giant slides and an area with 36 water features to your visit. This means wildlife and water attractions are separate highlights at the zoo. Figures and information about the offerings may change; check the latest visitor information before your visit.
Through the vineyards to the windmill
The “Sous les ailes du moulin” route is suitable for hiking, trail running and mountain biking. It leads from Romanèche-Thorins through the Moulin-à-Vent vineyards to the windmill. Below the mill, the route offers open panoramic views of the Mâconnais, Beaujolais and the Saône Valley. The round tower of the Moulin à Vent windmill is also a distinctive feature of the Beaujolais landscape. Choose the route according to the activity that interests you.
Wine tastings and the Fête Benoît Raclet
The wine experiences offer different highlights. At the Caveau du Cru Moulin-à-Vent, the guided tasting includes the wines selected for that particular week. Visitors can also discover around thirty different wine estates there. A visit to Château du Moulin-à-Vent includes an introduction to the AOC and the château, a wine tasting and a look at the estate’s technical facilities. The visit ends in a vaulted cellar dating from the late 16th century. At the Chapelle des Thorins, the visit includes a tasting of four wines. Those choosing between the experiences will find different ways to explore: the weekly selection at the Caveau, the combination of tasting and insights into the estate at the Château, or a tasting of four wines at the Chapelle.
The Fête Benoît Raclet is a recurring annual event. It takes place every year on the last weekend of October as an exhibition and market for wines from the Mâconnais and Beaujolais. If you are planning your trip specifically for the event, check the dates for that year’s edition.
Craftsmanship and history
The Musée départemental du compagnonnage displays masterpieces by carpenter journeymen. An audio guide takes visitors through the collections and lasts about an hour; it is available in French, English, German and Dutch. The duration and languages may change, so it is worth checking the latest information before visiting the museum. The Romanesque Church of Saint-Pierre adds a historical dimension to this cultural focus: it has belonged to Tournus Abbey since the 11th century.
When choosing what to explore, the highlights are easy to distinguish: wildlife and water features at the zoo, landscapes and activities along the route, tastings at the wine venues, and craftsmanship and history at the museum and church. This lets you tailor your time in Romanèche-Thorins to the themes you want to shape your stay, rather than trying to fit every offering into a rigid itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Solutré-Pouilly, Sornay, Saint-Julien-De-Civry, Mont, Montmelard, Chenôves, Prizy, Sologny.
For the broader travel guide: Saône-Et-Loire.
