Saône

The Saône is a river in eastern France, flowing through the regions of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is a major tributary of the Rhône, which it joins at Lyon. The Saône is approximately 480 kilometers (300 miles) long, making it one of the longest rivers in France. Its source is located in the Vosges mountains in the Haute-Saône department.

The river flows generally southwest, passing through several notable cities and towns including Gray, Chalon-sur-Saône, and Mâcon, before reaching Lyon. The Saône is navigable for much of its length, and it plays a significant role in regional transportation and commerce. It is connected to other river systems through canals, notably the Canal du Rhône au Rhin (Rhône-Rhine Canal) and the Canal de Bourgogne (Burgundy Canal).

Historically, the Saône has been an important waterway for trade and communication. Its fertile valleys have supported agriculture for centuries. Today, the river is also a popular destination for leisure boating and tourism, offering scenic landscapes and charming riverside communities. The confluence of the Saône and the Rhône at Lyon forms a distinctive geographical feature, with the two rivers maintaining their separate identities for a short distance before fully merging. The Saône's drainage basin covers a substantial area of eastern France.