Culture
The city library
Book and music lovers meet at the city's library. It counts over 180,000 books and 10,000 cds. Located 18 Cours Moreau, the contents of its collection can be accessed from its internet website: http://www.biblio.ville-macon.fr.
Museums
Art and architecture lovers will find many museums in Mâcon including:
- Le musée Lamartine: Located on the first floor of a 18th century building, the museum offers a variety of documents about the life and the writings of Alphone de Lamartine, born in Mâcon in 1790.
- Le musée des Ursulines : located since 1968 in the old "couvent des Ursulines", the museum hosts collections of archeology, ethnography and arts pieces.
Music et shows
Music and shows are widely available to Mâcon's inhabitants and can be enjoyed at several venues: Cave à Musique (SMAC labelled-Modern Music)the Ecole Nationale de Musique, the Crescent Jazz Club, the Theatre ( National theatre), the Parc des expositions (7000 seats).
Another venue will open in 2008 offering 3000 seats in the Parc Nord neighbourhood.
Special events such as "L’été frappé plus" (Julyn, August), "Contes et Lumières" (December) or lyrical singing contests such as "les Symphonies d’Automne" (Octobre) are organized in the city year round.
Movies
Love a good movie? The city has two movie theatres: les Marivaux and les Cordeliers. The association « l’Embobiné » also offers 3 times a week viewing of independant and art movies. A multiplex with 9 theatres will open in 2007 next to the Theatre in Mâcon.
Outdoor activities
Mâcon offers a wide range of outdoor activities. You can fish in the Saône river, play golf on one of the two golfs located in Mâcon, be adventurous and climb trees with Acro'bat or do rock climbing on the Solutré Rock. Let's not forget the "Voie Verte" where you can walk, roller-blade or bicycle.
Mâcon, sports n° 1 city in France
Mâcon is the city of sports with over 40 sports activities on offer and 73 sports associations. With its 14506 licencees, the city offers a large number of sport infrastructures.
The natural lake is the home of the rowing club « Les régates Mâconnaises ». Two of the club's athletes represented France in latest Olympic Games. It is also the home each year of the Motorboats Grand Prix.
Car racing lovers are not forgotten. The Rallye des Vins (French Championship competition) is held each year in May on the wine route between the maconnais and the beaujolais regions.
Mâcon also hosted the Tour de France twice in 2002 and 2006.
The associations, clubs and schools can enjoy a wide range of equipment: 14 football fields, 17 tennis courts, 17 sports centres, 6 multi-sports fields and a multi-sports complex. This complex des "Saugeraies" allows the practise of sports such as fencing, rock-climbing, boxing, weight lifting, squash... on 2925 square meters.
Night-life
Night owls will meet in bars and pubs located mostly on the Saône River banks.
Strolling through the streets you'll discover atypical venues such as « la Maison de Bois » , « la Traboule » or the « Café français ».
The « Club 400 », located close to the Parc des expositions, welcomes clubbers on Fridays and Saturdays. Mâcon also has a bowling alley (For more information, check-out their website: http://www.bowlingdumaconnais.com).