Things to see and do Franche-Comté

Founded in 1974 by the Carmel of Nancy, this monastery was erected in 1986 as a Carmel of the Byzantine rite. It is in this spirit of respect for the oriental tradition that the Carmelites practice the "writing" of icons in their monastery. The icon is an image for worship before being a work of art; it finds its deepest meaning in the liturgy lived: either in the church, or at home, in family or personal prayer. The Church blesses the icon, making it worthy of veneration. The "writing" of icons requires preparation; it is done in faith and prayer, it is a meticulous work that requires much attention, from the preparation of the board for painting to the final varnishing. The Carmelites have transformed the outbuildings into a guesthouse and a large attic into a library. A collection of about 500 volumes, mainly specialized in patristic, ecumenical, Carmelite and iconographic fields, is at the disposal of the guests.

Services : Matins at 6am, Divine Liturgy (Eucharist) at 7am, Third-Acathist-Sex at 11.30am, Vespers at 5pm. Saturday and Sunday Vespers at 6pm and in winter at 5pm Resurrection Vigil, Third-Acathist-Sext at 9.30am, Divine Liturgy at 10am.

Reception : some rooms are available for those who wish to share the prayer and silence of Carmel. Shop: this is an online shop where you can order the monastery's publications as well as painted or pasted icons, postcards and rosaries.

Its pink facades have not aged a bit. For good reason, the first Crédit Agricole de France, which was created in this spa in 1885, has undergone a complete facelift. Long abandoned, the establishment in front of the fairgrounds has been reborn from its ashes for two and a half years. It has been transformed into a museum. As a reminder, the creation of this first mutual structure was the work of Alfred Bouvet and Louis Milcent, encouraged by 72 people who were unable to finance their projects through banks. The approach is reminiscent of the spirit of county fruit farms generated by the avant-garde Jura farmers. The interior of the walls evokes the cooperative model that animated these pioneers, but it is also dedicated to the future. The complex is completed by a meeting room and is the headquarters of a foundation made available to the cooperative world in general.

Founded four centuries ago, in 1616, at Moulins in the Allier, this monastery was restored after the Revolution at La Charité-sur-Loire in 1818, then at Nevers in 1854. In 1908, the nuns went into exile in Belgium and returned to Nevers in 1935. And it was in 1993 that the Salesian community of Visitandines settled at the foot of a hill, on the route des Saulaies, on the banks of the Loire. Their guesthouse, located in a green and silent setting, can welcome you for a spiritual break not exceeding 8 days. A 3.5 km long footpath runs along the Loire River in front of the monastery, and is a great place to go for a walk.

You can share the services with the community. On Sundays: readings at 8am, Lauds at 9am, midday at 11:30am, Vespers at 5:45pm, Eucharist at 6:30pm. During the week, readings at 7:30 a.m., matins at 8:30 a.m., Eucharist and midday at 11 a.m., Vespers at 6 p.m., Compline at 8:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, the day of desert, Eucharist at 11:00 am. The services are celebrated in private.

The Visitandines receive young women, ladies and nuns who wish to spend a few days in silence and prayer to take stock of their situation or to better face everyday life with a stronger faith. They can also receive men and pilgrims from Santiago de Compostela. All these people can, if they wish, meet a nun. Books are at their disposal and they can also ask for recordings of conferences to help their meditation.

Below the tiny village of Saint-Martin-d'Auxy nestles the Jardin de Cassandra. Around their home, the Crescentini family have laid out some 7,000^m2 of land, sometimes creating complete biotopes from scratch. Meadows, orchards, ponds and ornamental gardens teem with life and invite you to take a stroll. Collections of rare hellebores, daylilies, rhododendrons, prunus, maples, old roses and hydrangeas shine all season long. Thanks to the nursery, it's possible to buy some rare specimens.

The Othe region is the best place of pilgrimage for lovers of apple sparkling drinks. Between the hiking trails, it is therefore necessary to stop at the Apple and Cider Museum. There are presses and in particular a well preserved "parrot wheel". Your mission if you accept it: learn to recognize apples: one variety per made product! Tasting of the products at the exit: cider of course, but also apple juice and other specialities.

Departing from the town hall, the heritage trail has 11 stops with explanatory panels. It winds its way through the heart of Rully, and a little way out to take in the views of the village and its surrounding vineyards. The springs of the Thalie, the medieval castle, the sumptuous Château Saint-Michel and the Church of Saint-Laurent are among the jewels to be discovered. A beautiful walk, with no major difficulties, but with a slight gradient.

In the rural Bresse region, there's nothing more natural than a Maison de l'agriculture. It is organized in a space evoking the atmosphere of an old farmyard, with trompe-l'oeil decor. Step inside to discover the traditional activities of the Bresse countryside, the evolution of farming practices, including the use of the first tractors, and the various local PDOs and AOCs. Dioramas, panels and videos detail farming life, amid landscapes marked by cereal crops and poultry farming.

The Saint-Marcel site in Saône-et-Loire, France, is dedicated to the assembly of heavy equipment for nuclear reactors. It has 850 employees and 39,000 m² of workshop space. Since its creation in 1975, the site has supplied over 675 components for 106 nuclear reactors in 11 countries. These include reactor vessels, steam generators, pressurizers and primary piping. In addition to nuclear components, the plant also manufactures shaped parts for the aerospace industry. The Saint-Marcel site also houses part of the French teams of Framatome's Technical Center, who carry out research and development activities for the design and manufacture of heavy components essential to nuclear power plants.