Burgundy has it all: glorious countryside, vineyards, amazing gastronomy, a fabulous history, picturesque villages, awesome towns, the Burgundy Canal and an incredible capital city – Dijon. There are also more chateaux in this region than any other in France, many of them with well stocked wine cellars and gourmet restaurants and swimming pools. Some of them are available to the public as luxury hotels like the stunning 19th Century Chateau de la Marquise Thesut near Chalon-sur-Saône in the heart of Burgundy.
Wine, Chateaux, Gastronomy!
There are hundreds of reasons why you should be tempted to visit this lovely region. The diversity of the local landscape, the chance to stay in a fabulous chateau or gorgeous gite amazing heritage, picturesque villages, lush vineyards, the waterways, the peacefulness of the countryside… cheese, wine and the most amazing gastronomy.
Dijon, capital of Burgundy
The Dukes of Burgundy were once more powerful than the royal family of France. Their footprint in Dijon is staggering. Hugely wealthy, the Dukes of Burgundy were patrons of the arts and spent fortunes making Dijon as beautiful as possible. An enormous palace, wide open squares, medieval streets with breath-taking mansions – their legacy is on every corner.
Wander round Dijon town and take in the sights of this historic town that bears so many traces of its illustrious and very prosperous past. It’s astonishing to nip into a modern clothes shop and discover an ancient well left over from the 15th Century. Dip down an alleyway and find a hidden medieval house that looks like it was built yesterday. Rest your feet and people watch at Place Francois Rude, encircled by cafés and bars whose tables spill onto the pedestrianised square. A lively place named after the Dijon-born sculptor of “La Marseilleise” which graces the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The locals call it Place du Bareuzai thanks to the statue of a naked man treading grapes; the name means ”red stockings” (from bas rosé) which the winegrowers had after crushing grapes with their feet.
Beautiful Beaune
Beaune is a pretty town where they take their wine seriously. The Hospices de Beaune was a cutting edge hospital in the 1400s and incredibly parts of it stayed open until the 1990s. Nowadays it’s just as famous for its wine auctions. It is a fascinating place to visit and you will never forget the sight of that magnificent multi-coloured tiled roof.
Must do’s in Burgundy
Enjoy a picnic along the famous Burgundy canal shaded by leafy trees.
Cycle - there are 800 km of cycle routes and 5 major routes.
A must-see is the Chateau of Guedelon, Yonnne, a medieval castle being built in the 21st Century. (Open March – November).
Chateauneuf- en-Auxois is a fairy-tale looking picture perfect hill top Burgundian country town. It overlooks the Burgundy Canal and is officially one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France”. A great place to spend a day chilling out though there is not a lot to do other than wander, wonder and eat - the views alone are worth the detour.
Check out our Burgundy rentals and be inspired…