Burgundy is rich in history and culture, and until the end of the 18th century it was not part of France. At one stage in its history it was even allies with the English kings in their battles against the French.
The region of Burgundy stretches along the eastern border of France and northwards towards Flanders. It is divided into four distinct areas, known as departments. These are Cote d’Or, to the east, Nivere, to the west, Saône et Loire,the most southerly, and finally Yonne to the north.
Cote d’Or
Cote d’Or translates into The Golden Hills and is where you will find the premier Burgundy wines. The major vineyards are also ocated to the south of Dijon on the south east facing hills of the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune. The other major activity in this area is cattle farming and cereal production. These are to be found on the Auxois plain and the Saone valley. Access to Cote d’Or accommodation is easy. A TGV high speed train service takes you directly to the heart of Burgundy from Paris in just over an hour, there are provincial airports used by low cost carriers from the UK and Italy, and a number of highways that pass through or close to the region.
Yonne
Yonne is named after the river that flows from central France, northwards and meets with the river Seine. Auxerre is the capital city of Yonne and is a favourite with tourists who want to enjoy its small cobbled streets, shops and riverside restaurants.
Nivere
Nivere is a predominately rural area and is known for its cereal and crop farming. The capital city of Nivere is Nevers, which looks over the Loire river. The area is also a destination for pilgrims from all over the world as they visit the body of Saint Bernadette who died in 1879 and lies in the Saint-Cyr Cathedral.
Briare, a small town on the river Loire is the home of a viaduct, of over 600 yards in length, built by Gustave Eiffel in 1890 that is still used today by barges and boats transversing the river using the Canal Lateral du Loire.
Saone et Loire
The Saone and Loire is the most southerly area of Burgundy and is named after the two important rivers that flow through it, the Saone southwards, and the Loire which flows towards the north west.
Saone and Loire is the home of the regional park of the Morvan, a semi-mountainous area, steeped with granite and dense forest.
Dijon
Dijon, once known as Divio, is the major city of Burgundy. Though most people know of Dijon for its mustard, it was also the birthplace of Gustave Eiffel, who built the Eiffel tower in Paris, it also offers a variety of historical sites, cultural activities and fine restaurants for the discerning tourist.
A walk around the old town centre would make a very pleasant a relaxing day. It is full of very charming, with half timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets. When your legs get weary you can confirm the gourmet reputation that the city holds by visiting one of vast selection of restaurants that cater for all tastes.
Other notable places to put on your itinerary would be the cathedral Notre Dame, the palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, and also the main Burgundy vineyards begin just to the south of the city. There is a good choice Dijon accommodation available for holidaymakers for most of the year, however, Dijon also hosts the annual Foire Gastronomique, a food fair, at the end of October, therefore, book early!
Beaune
Beaune, as well as being the heart and soul of the Burgundy wine region, It is a charming walled town with plenty of delightful shops, restaurants, and cafés. It is also a city of art with the major attraction of the town’s heritage being the Hotel-Dieu (Hospices de Beaune) with its multi-coloured roofs. It is a medieval hospital complex, with both stunning buildings to admire and offers a fascinating chance to see what a medieval hospital looked like.
If you decide to book Beaune accommodation, another place well worth visiting is the Musée du Vin de Bourgogne, which can be found in the Hotel des Ducs de Bourgogne. It traces the history of the region’s wine making tradition. This historical collection includes tools, objets d’art, and documents in the buildings 15th and 16th century rooms. In the 14th century press house nearby you will find a collection of wine presses.
La Moutarderie, an interactive exhibition about mustard is also worth visiting. Housed in the original mustard factory, itself a Napoleonic building, you will find all the tools needed by the 19th Century craftsman to ply their trade. Table mounted sieves, old drive belts, and above all mill stones, are all there to bear witness to their skill and knowledge. But don’t be put off by the static nature of the exhibits mentioned above, the intervention of the experts from the University of Burgundy, have endeavored to make the tour interactive, by using the latest technological advances. These include the movements of todays mustard maker being reproduced on an image wall, a 3D animated model showing how the raw materials are brought from their storage area, in the attic, to the packaging area on the ground floor, and the great chefs of today provide a commentary to the visitors using interposed video terminals.
Guedelon
Another place that deserves a special mention, out of the all the many churches and castles that you will enjoy visiting, is the project that is taking place at Guedelon. Here they are attempting to construct a castle using exactly the same techniques and materials that were used 500 years ago. It is fascinating to see the artisans working with the tools and the materials of old in their efforts to recreate the castle.
Ballooning
But if you feel more adventurous there is ballooning. Hot-air balloons were the invention of the brothers Montgolfier spent time in the famous abbey of Fontennay in the Yonne.
Today, hot-air balloons can be seen in the blue skies of the early morning or evening, floating above the trees, being carried to unknown destinations. So why not enjoy a flight and pass over the villages, vineyards and forests of Burgundy to land, who knows where, and then celebrate with a glass of the local wine.