Accolay brings together pottery history, water jousting and distinctive places along routes and waterways. These highlights add different dimensions to a stay: ceramics offer a glimpse into the history of craftsmanship, the Nivernais Canal into regional transport history, and the white mulberry tree at Poirier Rond is a remarkable tree in Burgundy.

Pottery history at the village entrance

The Accolay pottery production centre was founded in the village by four former students of Alexandre Kostanda. The pottery was distinguished by great technical ingenuity and an exceptionally extensive output. Just before the village entrance, a monumental pottery piece commemorates the village’s pottery history. The subject can therefore be explored through two distinct traces: the founding of a production centre and a striking landmark at the village entrance. Anyone interested in cultural history will find a connecting thread between the founders, the scale of production and its commemoration in the village landscape.

Water jousting and the history of the canal

Water jousting events have been held in Accolay since 1830. In the region, the practice dates back to raftsmen and boatmen who jousted from their boats while transporting timber. In the Accoloise method, the boats are propelled by two polemen. This local variation combines a distinctive means of propulsion with a tradition whose historical background is rooted in boats, raftsmen and timber transport.

The Association des Joutes Accoloises keeps water jousting alive in Accolay and trains on the Nivernais Canal throughout the warm season. If seasonal training is important to your travel plans, check the specific dates in advance. The Nivernais Canal branch at Accolay was built in the late 19th century to transport firewood from the Morvan to Paris. This places a regional tradition and a former transport function side by side on the same canal, though they have different historical connections.

Washhouses and the white mulberry tree

Three washhouses stand in Accolay along a small stream. This is a different local connection to water from the Nivernais Canal: the washhouses are associated with the stream, while water jousting and the canal’s history are linked to the canal. At Poirier Rond, the white mulberry tree stands at a crossroads on the edge of the GR 13. It is among the northernmost known mulberry trees in Burgundy and is one of the region’s remarkable trees. The tree connects a specific point in the landscape with its regional recognition as part of the natural heritage.

Church architecture in Accolay

Church architecture can also be explored through specific building features. A church in Accolay has a long single-nave body with a panelled barrel vault. The Romanesque choir and sanctuary of a church in Accolay include a straight-sided bay with a pointed barrel vault and a conch apse. A single-nave body is a longitudinal church space without side aisles; a bay is a section of the church interior. A conch apse has a dome-like vaulted end. These terms draw attention to the layout of the space and the forms of the vaults, offering interested visitors a concrete way to explore church architecture.

Discover more destinations: Bléneau, Rouvray, Tanlay, Villeperrot, Saint-Agnan, Lainsecq, Chablis, Toucy.

For the broader travel overview: Yonne.