Source of the Seine (Sources de la Seine)
The quiet green valley where the Seine begins, guarded by a stone grotto and a river nymph.
- Nature and viewpoint
- 56 min from Beaune
- Allow 30 to 45 minutes
- Source-Seine
€195one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 56 min by road (68 km), €195 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
The Seine, the river of Paris, begins as a trickle in a small wooded valley on the Langres plateau, north-west of Dijon. The main spring sits in an artificial grotto with a statue of a reclining nymph. Around it lie the buried remains of a Gallo-Roman sanctuary to Sequana, goddess of the river.
What you will see
A path leads from the road into a small landscaped valley. The first spring rises inside the stone grotto, where the nymph reclines above the water. Just below, the young Seine is only a stream, and a tiny stone bridge, often called the first bridge over the Seine, lets you cross it in a single stride. The setting is simple and calm, with meadows and woods around, and it takes little time to see.
History
In Gallo-Roman times, between the 1st and the end of the 4th century, a sanctuary here honoured Sequana, the goddess of the Seine. Pilgrims came here and left offerings. Excavations since the 19th century have found temples, bathing pools and hundreds of offerings, including about 300 carved oak figures and a bronze statue of Sequana. These finds are now in the Musée archéologique of Dijon.
The City of Paris bought the land around the source in 1864. The following year it built the grotto over the main spring and installed a statue of a nymph by the Dijon sculptor François Jouffroy. The worn original was replaced by a copy in 1934. The archaeological site is a listed historic monument, and in 2019 the valley was also protected as a classified site.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The source is a little over an hour from Beaune, beside a quiet country road, and fits easily into a day with the MuséoParc Alésia or Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. Check with the Côte-d'Or tourist board for opening times and access conditions.
Around here
What to combine with Source of the Seine on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Source of the Seine is about 56 min from Beaune by road (68 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €195 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The tiny stone bridge below the grotto is named after Paul Lamarche, who looked after the park for more than 50 years. It was built in the 1970s to keep visitors' feet dry.
Sources
Source of the Seine with a private driver
€195 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests