Saint-Révérien (3 kms) is named after an early Christian disciple who was sent by Pope St Felix 1st, 268-274, to teach the gospel to the Eduens, the Gallic people who lived here then. The 13th century church of Saint-Révérien has a remarkable domed roof, an example of the purest tradition of Romanesque architecture; you can see similar ones at Autun and Charité-sur-Loire. Close to here is the Gallo-Roman site of Compierre where there are the remains of a prosperous city from the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

Vézelay (45 kms), 'the eternal hill', crowned by the 12th century basilica of La Madeleine and considered to be one of the treasures of France, was where St Bernard began the Second Crusade in 1146. As one of the most important centres of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, it was the start of one of the four traditional routes towards St Jacques de Compostelle. Today it is still a magnet for visitors and an elegant town with a profusion of antique shops, galleries, esoteric bookshops and restaurants.

Nevers lies on the banks of the upper Loire river dominated by the cathedral with its two great towers, one Roman, the other Gothic with different architectural styles dating from 11th to the 16th centuries. There is also the Ducal Palace with its beautiful Renaissance façade and the lovely church of St Etienne in the old quarter. It has some excellent shops, particularly for jewellery and chocolate and is worth visiting for its imaginative and colourful chinaware. The Municipal Museum has some wonderful old examples. The extraordinarily preserved remains of St Bernardette of Lourdes can be visited at the Convent of St-Guildard.

Further downstream is Charité-sur-Loire, perhaps the most entrancing town on this stretch of the river, quiet and undisturbed by the passage of time. The vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre are further along from there.