Saone et Loire is a French department located in the very sought-after Burgundy (Bourgogne) region. The department is situated in the centre east of France and is surrounded with Cote d’Or and Nièvre (Saone et Loire), Ain, Rhone and Loire (Rhone Alpes), Jura (Franche Comté) and Allier (Auvergne). With 544,893 residents, it is the largely inhabited department of Burgundy. Most of the residents of Saone et Loire live in the east of the department, this area being much better developed in terms of transport networks.

Saone-Et-Loire is a French department at the east-central side created from the districts of Autunois, Brionnais, Chalonnais, Charollais and Maconnais, previously belonging to Burgundy. Loire forms its south-western boundary, and the Saone traverses its eastern region from north to south. At the left reservoir of the Saone the department forms part of the wide plain of Bresse; on its right bank the centre of the department is occupied by the northern Cevennes, here divided by the river Grosne into two parallel ranges the mountains of Maconnais to the east, and the mountains of Charollais to the west.