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Sunday 18 September 2016

Burgundy - A short Guide

A brief guide to visiting Burgundy

If you are on  driving holiday in France starting from Calais, there is a reasonable chance you will need a stop-over somewhere in Burgundy.

Here, then, is a guide to how you might spend a few hours' free time plus a night in the area.

Towns and cities

The main population centres in Burgundy are Dijon and Beaune; one famed for its mustard and being the seat of the Dukes of Burgundy, the other for the roof of its Hospice.

Dijon is the larger and more impressive, but both are worth a visit with their beautiful old towns.

Villages

A drive from Dijon to Beaune along the D974 is journey through an oneological pantheon with village after village, clos after clos, of great names - Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée.

Stay

Away from the city-centre bustle of the two great cities that book-end this part of Burgundy, the wine villages make for beautiful, relaxing places to stay.

In Nuits-Saint-Georges, stay at the Hostellerie St Vincent, which has an excellent restaurant, L'Alembic in the vaulted cellar, the name a reference to an alembic pot still in one corner.

In Gevrey-Chambertin, stay at the Hotel Arts et Terroirs, a former coaching house; with no restaurant, you can make the short walk into Gevrey-Chambertin to eat at Chez Guy (alternatively, Rotisserie du Chambertin).

See

Both hotels overlook the vineyards and are on the edge of their respective villages, so are perfect for an evening stroll.

If you have time - and you should make it - spend at least half a day in Dijon (Owl Trail, Ducal Palace) and Beaune (Musee de l'Hotel-Dieu and the city centre generally).

For wine-related activities, and Beaune is akin to a giant wine museum, there are plenty of famous and not-so-famous names throughout Burgundy, including Louis Jadot at 62 Route de Savigny, Beaune.

Further afield but still within Burgundy, there is Chablis, the Maconnais and Beaujolais.

Other related articles
Restaurant L'Alembic: Nuits St Georges
Chablis: A Guide
Sangouard-Guyot

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