Highlights of Burgundy

One of Europe’s oldest Cistercian abbeys, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Renaissance chateau, renowned for its 16th-century wall paintings and frescos (which are said to rival Fontainebleau). Ancy-le-Franc has been extensively and sensitively renovated and is a spectacular visit and is considered as one of the important heritage and tourist attractions in the region of Burgundy.

The palace is set in the centre of a magnificent park of 123 acres in addition to stables and stalls, a farmhouse on the grounds, an orangery, an 18th century folly situated on a small island in the middle of a pond, small bridges, paths, centuries old trees, horse ring, pyramid… An idyllic surroundings for rounding off the visit after the tour of the interiors of the chateau.

This town of Autun is a perfect example a Ville d’Art et D’Histoire, portraying its antique and medieval past. A town rich in history including Roman ruins, city gates, theatre and the Janus Temple. Romanesque houses and its cathedral entice the traveller to explore this timeless town.

A captivating city of Art and History. Located on a hill overlooking the left bank of the River Yonne. With its winding streets lined with half-timbered houses, take time to explore the old part of town. Many of the buildings date back to medieval times. Auxerre is the ideal place to stroll along its narrow streets and window shop or just sit and relax with a coffee in one of its many cafés reflecting on Napoleon, Joan of Arc or Charles VII who all passed through this elegant town.

Famous for its Gothic churches: Saint-Pierre and Saint-Etienne cathedrals as well as Saint Germain abbey (Roman church). Auxerre is also well known for its football team!

A charming market town with its ramparts overlooking the terrace gardens and the Cousin valley which opens to the foothills of the Morvan (a mountainous massif lying just to the west of the Côte d’Or).

Highlights all of Burgundy’s spiritual, artistic, rich heritage and winegrowing traditions. The centre of the wine region, steeped in wine culture and famous vineyards surrounding this flamboyant town.

Must see sights:

♦ The mythical 15th century Gothic style, the Hospices – or Hôtel Dieu (general hospital), perfectly preserved since its establishment in 1443
♦ The Collegiate Church Notre-Dame
♦ The Fallot mustard factory
♦ Le Musée du Vin de Bourgogne (Burgundy Wine Museum) which is housed in the former private residence of the Dukes of Burgundy
♦ Countless cellars including the underground thanks to the kilometres of vaulted cellars running under the streets

This town is known as the ‘Golden Gate’ of Burgundy (Yonne) for the great wine it produces. This village is home to a prestigious vineyard and rich heritage, dating back to the Middle Ages. You can also take a hike to admire the vineyards and surrounding forests.

To visit:

♦ The cellars
♦ Saint-Martin collegiate church
♦ The Hotel-Dieu

In the heart of the Burgundy wine region you can explore the climats, a regional term that refers to a plot of land whose rich soil and natural conditions are unique. Visit a cellar or museum in the region and learn about the history, the slopes, the soil composition, the aspect and the microclimate of each of these plots.

In the Côte-d’Or, at the heart of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, you can discover Grands Crus such as Romanée-Conti or Meursault. Further north, in the Yonne, the famous Chablis is an appellation Grand Cru distributed across seven climats. Visit the villages of Givry and Rully en Saône-et-Loire, where you can familiarise yourself with the Premiers Crus of the Côte Chalonnaise.

Interesting fact: the “Premier Cru” wines of Burgundy represent just 10% of the wine production and the “Grand Cru” a minute 2%.

A lively town on the Saône River, good for shopping. If you are a photographer you will enjoy the Musée Nicéphore-Niepce – dedicated to the History of Photography from its origins by French scientist and inventor Nicephore Niepce. Take time to watch a very good video about the invention of photography and its developments.

Châtillon-sur-Seine in the north-east of Burgundy is famous for the magnificent Treasures of Vix. In 1953, below the Mont Lassois oppidum (a Gallo-Roman fortified town) near Vix, the grave of a Celtic princess was uncovered, revealing many magnificent treasures including a ceremonial chariot, bronze, ceramic and silver vessels, a large gold necklace (belonging to a woman of rank in Celtic society). The Vix Treasure is displayed in Châtillon-sur-Seine’s new museum that is housed in the old convent buildings of Notre-Dame abbey.

Once the largest abbey in Christendom, this town is an important location in Burgundy’s past.

The Benedictine abbey – Abbaye de Cluny was founded in 910 and was the largest religious edifice in Europe. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries. Discover what remains of a spiritual centre and the seat of the greatest Medieval monastic order in the West. Feel the sense of grandeur as you walk beneath the tall Romanesque vaults and admire masterpieces of sculpture.

The Capital of the region with majestic buildings dating back to the glorious days of the Dukes of Burgundy. A lively university town, and recognised as an essential art and historic town: Palace of Dukes and States, Museum of Fine Art and the Charterhouse of Champmol.

Stroll the pedestrian streets lined with classic and Renaissance medieval houses, museums, gardens, festivals… Visit Saint-Bénigne cathedral (Romanesque crypt), Notre-Dame church & its Jacquemart clock, just to name a few.

A picturesque Renaissance town, home of one of France’s best known restaurants, La Côte St-Jacques and centre of viticulture. This Ville d’Art et d’Histoire is a key stop when navigating along the Yonne River. During a visit of the old town, discover the sculpted half-timbered houses, the Saint-Thibault and Saint- Jean churches, the château, etc.

Famous for its wines and landscapes, Mâcon on the River Saône is the gateway to the south, Lyon and the Mediterranean. It was the border line between the French Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire, from 843 to 1600. In 1790, Mâcon became the administrative centre of Saône-et-Loire. The famous Poet and Minister, Alphonse de Lamartine, was born in Mâcon. The town was an active centre of the Resistance during World War II, and was the first town of unoccupied France between Paris and Lyon. The Lamartine museum and historical sites are worth a visit.

Meursault has a rich historical heritage. This village has been occupied since the Neolithic times. Take a stroll through one of the many vineyards or follow the pathway of history through the village streets. You will discover traces left by the monks of Citeaux in the 11th century, the town hall of the 14th century, a clunysian church and smaller everyday buildings to name a few.

Classified among the “most beautiful villages of France”, Noyers is a preserved medieval city. Walk the cobbled streets of Noyers, enjoy the local market and discover the old ramparts and half-timbered buildings from the 15th/16th centuries along the banks of the river Serein.

These selections of houses that make up the town, include aristocratic mansions of the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, bourgeois houses with wood sides or single houses of winemakers. Most of the houses have been classified or registered as a historical monument.

The panorama from the top of the old castle is worth a look. In season, the city offers cultural quality animations, musical events, festivals, concerts, artists, galleries, museums and naive folk art.

Situated on the River Loire, the seat of government for the Nièvre is a good shopping centre with hearty food and scenic waterways. The capital of fine china and the dukes of Nevers, whose palace is deemed to be THE first of all châteaux along the Loire River. Nevers is a many-faceted Ville d’Art et d’Histoire: the exhibit of the remains of Sainte-Bernadette, a prime pilgrimage spot, and the close vicinity of the French F1 Nevers-Magny-Cours circuit, a destination for sport car enthusiasts.

A charming rampart town with attractive buildings featuring antique ironmongery on the walls and doors in the narrow streets. The Medieval fortress town overlooks the valley the River Armançon. By night the impressive towers and ramparts are softly illuminated to create a spectacular image. By day, the ramparts provide a promenade with beautiful views of the river.

This ancient city, stands at the northern entrance to Burgundy, with the main points of interest radiating out from the Cathedral St-Etienne, enabling the traveller to enjoy the numerous cafes in the Place de la République, the half-timbered houses and sophisticated shops along the pedestrian walkway Grande Rue. The old archbishop’s palace now houses the town’s museums. The cathedral’s treasure, displayed in the archbishops’ former private chapel, is one of the richest in France. Sens is small and easily accessible, between ‘town and county’ and is surrounded by Burgundy’s granary fields of cereals and orchards.

The Chateau de Tanlay was built in the XVIth & XVIIth centuries, and is classified as one of the most beautiful Chateaux in Burgundy. Since 1700 and until today the property belongs to the family of the marquis de Tanlay. This Renaissance residence is famous in particular for its interior decoration and furnished apartments, a gallery painted in trompe l’oeil and for the frescoes in the Ligue tower. The château is entirely encircled by its rectilinear moat and picturesque gardens.

A timeless old town on the shores of the Saône River, with antique shops, cafes and restaurants in the maze of streets. Visit l’Abbaye St-Philibert abbey – a remarkable site for early Roman art. Tournus was an important monastic city.

Fossils, fora and fauna… a vast natural, historic and cultural site located in Saône-et-Loire, in the south of Burgundy. A limestone escarpment 8 km west of Macon that overlooks the commune of Solutré-Pouilly. It draws its fame severally as a rare geological phenomenon of the region, as a prehistoric site of the Solutrean paleolithic culture. The natural environment has been occupied by Man for at least 55,000 years, and its grasslands have distinctive flora and fauna. It is also the cradle of the Pouilly-Fuissé wine appellation.

In the Mesozoic era, warm seas extended over the region. Today you can find many fossils along the walking tracks and in the grassland. Like its neighbour – The Rock of Vergisson, were both created from fossilized coral plateaux from the sea side beds which appeared approximately 160 million years ago.

Vézelay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This charming medieval village has been a centre of pilgrimage for centuries and has been structured around The Sainte-Madeleine Basilica.

On a hill 108m (354 ft.) above the countryside, Vézelay is known for its ramparts and houses with sculptured doorways, cobbled staircases, and mullioned windows.