Journey along the legendary Route Nationale 7

It is described as ''an Eiffel Tower of the navigable paths.'' For over a century, the Briare was the longest steel canal aqueduct in the world. Built between 1890 and 1896, today the construction rises over the Loire River and the old lateral canal dug out during the reign of Henri IV. Gustave Eiffel himself contributed to the project. At the time, Briare was an important conduit for the river traffic. Today, it's the leisure boats that savor the stunning scenery. Looking at the boats from high above, you feel like you're flying…

It is at Milly, alongside other children of winemakers, where Alphonse de Lamartine grew up. A carefree and happy childhood marks the work of the writer. In 1830, a short time after having been elected at the French Academy, he inherited the family house before running unsuccessfully for a seat at the parliament at Mâcon. Here, he wrote some of his famous Méditations poétiques and some of his finest poems. The house, which is still a wine growing estate, is open to visitors.

It is hard for us today to imagine that during the 12th century Cluny was the most important abbey of the West. Founded three centuries earlier in 910, the abbey has congregated nearly 10,000 monks. The “promenade of angels” maybe has lost its shine since then, but it remains one of the key places for Christianity. Here, we also find a lovely museum of Art and Archeology with beautiful works and Roman sculptures.

''The cellar has always been one of the Auberge des Templiers's most important places,'' says Philippe Dépée. ''I like the vineyard work. Perhaps because like mine, it's done with love of the place, of the land, and the insistence on excellence.'' On both banks of the Loire River, the Sancerre and Pouilly vineyards offer their most beautiful colours. Some of the finest Sauvignons blancs and Pinots noirs in the country are produced here. The finest wine varieties are to be found on the restaurant menu of the Auberge des Templiers.

Shared by fifty independent wine growers, this vineyard has enjoyed an AOC appellation since 1994. My father long worked with Robert Sérol in Renaison. Today, I share “Les Blondins”, a five-acre property on the Gamay Estate, with his son, Stéphane Sérol. It's a fruity and expressive wine that you'll find on the menu of all of our restaurants – as far away as Tokyo.

Hervé Mons is one of the best maîtres affineurs (experts in cheese ripening). A Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France), he knows inside and out all the country's farms, traditions, and expertise. Over the years, he has become a reference in the profession. Over a hundred producers from all around France and elsewhere entrust the ripening and marketing of their cheeses to him. The smallest herd he oversees counts only four cows, producing only several dozen cheeses a year. A few years ago, he had the idea of transforming a railway tunnel into a cellar, and there he prepares his Beaufort, Salers, Cantals, Lavorts, Gruyères, and various Tommes.

When I was a child, my father took me here regularly. From Roanne, you crisscross Charolais hills. It's a beautiful trip through wooded countryside interrupted here and there by several villages proud of their Romanesque churches. Every Wednesday, at noon, the market gathers a number of Charolais breeders who present their livestock for sale. More than 70,000 animals are sold here annually. Since 2009, an auction market has rounded out this traditional market, which was created at the end of the fifteenth century. Along the way, you should also stop, of course, at the Colline du Colombier, our magnificent inn lost in the country, in Iguerande - a village where the Leblanc family produces an excellent walnut oil.

Passionate about the artistic creation, I never miss the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale. The first art biennale was held in the early 90s in the Halle Tony Garnier. In this singular world, I discovered artists like Christian Boltanski, Philippe Favier, Annette Messager, Buren, Viallat and Traquandi. It's also at the Biennale that I encountered the work of architect Patrick Bouchain, with whom we worked on the Maison Troisgros.

Grey crowned cranes, Dalmatian pelicans, scarlet ibises, rainbow lorikeets, cockatoos, and marabou storks…there are so many bird species to observe in this 86-acrepark set in the heart of a bird sanctuary. There's a very beautiful display of birds born and raised here that allows you to admire the birds in flight.

Set in a magnificent 18th-century farm extended by a contemporary-style building, this museum dedicated entirely to Bressan heritage presents rich collections including costumes, jewellery, and local food specialities. Devoted to the region, Georges Blanc helped set up a real on-site Bresse poultry farm. A vegetable garden was also re-created.

From the vine-growing process to the wine-making process, you can explore the whole world of wine in this hamlet created by Georges Duboeuf in the heart of the Beaujolais. In fifty years, this passionate man has gone from simple bottler to one of the biggest Beaujolais wine merchants. The story of the vineyards and of the wine unfolds throughout almost 30,000 m2 of park and exhibition sites. Two thousand years of history and expertise that often ends with the tasting of a glass of wine…

Moulin Castelas is where Jean-Benoît Hugues produces perhaps the best olive oil of the Baux-de-Provence Valley. On the 111 acres extending along the sun-kissed slopes of the Alpilles are four varieties of olive: l'Aglandau, la Grossane, la Salonenque, and la Verdale - each unique, bursting with a singular flavor. Jean-Benoît works his oil like wine, with the same passion and precision. Here, at the Moulin Castelas, the fruit is transformed into an elixir.

It's on the Lauzières Estate, in an isolated little valley in the south of the Alpilles, where Jean-André Charial produces a rosé or red wine named ''L'Affectif''. This AOC wine from Les Baux de Provence offers - according to its vintage - prune, blackberry, or red berry notes.

And what if the biggest screen in the world was actually in Provence? On this exceptional site of the old Baux quarries, the works of the most prestigious artists are presented. Filmed in 1959 in Cocteau's The Testament of Orpheus, the quarries make an extraordinary setting today. There's more than 6,000m2 of space where shows are projected, often featuring the paintings of Gauguin, Monet or Van Gogh. Each year, a new work lights up the white limestone.

They say that the famous philosopher who once lived nearby has conceived the third part of his monumental Thus Spoke Zarathustra along this path that now bears his name. Following the steps of Friedrich Nietzsche, you can walk between the low, dry stone walls, and the cypress and bougainvillea trees, all mixed with the fragrance of myrtle and rosemary. The Mediterranean gives itself freely to a perfect postcard setting. It takes approximately forty-five minutes to descend, and/or one-and-a-half hour to climb back up the 400m path.

Transformed into a museum by 1938, this magnificent Renaissance-style palace is one of the most impressive monuments of all the French Riviera. A great collector of art, its owner Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild was known for her refined tastes. Inside the villa, one can still explore the baroness's living rooms and apartments, that house an exceptional collection of French porcelain. Be especially mesmerized by one of the nine 'remarkable' gardens (labelled by the Ministry of Culture in 2005), which cover almost seven hectares.