Vézelay Honey Festival

The Vézelay Honey Festival: an ode to bees and the terroirs of Morvan

In the exceptional setting of Vézelay (89450), a village perched on its hill overlooking the Morvan and the plains of the Yonne, the Honey Festival brings together beekeepers, honey producers, and lovers of quality natural products every autumn. This friendly event celebrates the work of beekeepers from the Yonne and Morvan regions, as well as the richness of the honey-producing terroirs of this Burgundy region.

Honeys of Vézelay and Morvan

The Vézelay and Morvan region offers exceptional conditions for beekeeping. The richness of the wild flora — flowering meadows, deciduous forests, hedgerows — and the absence of intensive agriculture produce honeys of great diversity and remarkable quality. Among the typical productive varieties of the region:

• Rapeseed honey: light, creamy, with sweet and buttery aromas
• Acacia honey: liquid, pale amber, with a delicate floral taste
• Spring honey: complex, with varied aromas reflecting the floral diversity of the Morvan meadows
• Sunflower honey: golden yellow, crystallizes quickly, with a frank and generous taste
• Forest honey: dark, with woody and resinous aromas, rich in minerals

A producers' market centered around the hive

The Vézelay Honey Festival offers a market of producers and artisans focused on hive products and local flavors:

• Direct sale of honeys by local beekeepers with guided tastings
• Hive by-products: beeswax, royal jelly, propolis, pollen, mead, and candles
• Local products: Vézelay wines, cheeses, jams, and local gastronomic specialties
• Crafts related to the world of bees: sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and original creations
• Educational activities on beekeeping, the life cycle of the hive, and pollinator protection

Raising awareness for bee protection

The Vézelay Honey Festival is also a time to raise awareness for the protection of bees and pollinators, whose ecological importance is fundamental for biodiversity and agriculture. Educational workshops, exhibitions, and discussions with beekeepers allow the public — especially children — to better understand the fascinating world of bees and to get involved in their preservation.

Vézelay, an ideal setting for the honey festival

Listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in France, Vézelay offers an incomparable architectural and natural setting for this local event. The eternal hill, its medieval streets, its ochre stone houses, and the imposing silhouette of the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Basilica form a splendid backdrop for a market dedicated to natural products and quality crafts. The Honey Festival naturally fits into the tradition of local events that animate Vézelay throughout the year.